NY Gov. Hochul Targets Underage Gambling in State of the State Address
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul wants the Empire State to do more to protect kids from gambling and used her annual State of the State on Tuesday to address the issue.
As part of the 50-minute address in Albany, with Hochul donning a Buffalo Bills cap with a “Go Bills!” exclamation to conclude, that was the only gambling initiative Hochul included among the more than 200 initiatives mentioned to make life for the state’s residents more affordable, safe, and opportunistic.
“The state of our state is strong – and we’re just getting started. If you’re betting on the future, you can bet on New York,” said Hochul during opening remarks of her fifth State of the State address.
Home to the nation’s largest sports wagering market, Hochul announced three initiatives under Safeguarding Kids Online, understanding that youth mental health ties directly to online safety.
These include Safe By Design: Creating Safer Digital Environments for Kids; Ensuring Fair Play in Online Betting and Limiting Access For Young People; Promoting Responsible Digital Citizenship: Supporting Distraction-Free Schools and Student Mental Health.
“Building on our success, I say we enact new requirements to protect all social media users under 18,” said Hochul in her address. “Let’s block direct messages from would-be child predators with automatic privacy settings. Let’s disable AI chatbots that can cause serious mental health problems. Let’s block location-sharing and let’s do more to cut off access to online sports gambling so our kids are not ensnared by addiction at a young age.”
Related: Roblox Among Platforms Targeted in NY Gov. Hochul’s Legislative Package
Hochul Seeks Tech Solutions to Underage Gambling
According to ESPN’s David Purdum in a story posted on Monday, Hochul would like to see stronger measures utilized, including the use of biometric tools and restrictions on AI, to protect New Yorkers, particularly youth, from “predatory and addictive technologies.”
Hochul is expected to direct the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) to explore methods, including facial recognition and thumbprint scanners, to prevent anyone under 21 from creating sportsbook accounts or using the accounts of others.
Although gambling is intended to be an adult activity, studies show children as young as 10 years of age have been introduced to betting, and those who gamble before turning 12 are four times more likely to develop problem gambling behaviors, according to the New York Council on Problem Gambling. The exposure continues to increase through high school and college, and it remains a risky behavior, according to mental health experts, as an individual’s brain is not considered fully developed until they are in their 20s.
New York launched legal online sports betting in January 2022, and according to the NYSGC, approximately $26.3 billion was wagered statewide through retail and mobile sportsbooks last year.
Lawmakers Seek Sweeps Ban, Legalized iGaming
While Hochul did not bring up other gambling issues in her address on Tuesday, state lawmakers are raising them during this year’s legislative session that runs through June.
State Sen. Joe Addabbo, the Queens Democrat who chairs the Senate’s Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, will again attempt to pass a bill to legalize online casinos, also known as iGaming. He told Gambling Insider last week that a “rational governor” would want the revenue iGaming could generate to address New York’s budget needs.
Meanwhile, State Assemblyman Clyde Vanel, another Queens Democrat, has filed a bill that would bar federally regulated prediction market platforms, such as Kalshi and Polymarket, from offering markets on sporting events, political elections, catastrophes and deaths.
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