Assembly wagering chair talks mobile sports wagering

The sports gambling status quo in New York could get a makeover in 2026.

Assembly Racing & Wagering Committee Chair Carrie Woerner told The Capitol Pressroom that she is open prohibiting or regulating some of the more controversial aspects of the industry, including getting rid of “under” bets, requiring more disclosure about the risk and reward of parlays, restricting platforms from advertising during televised sports broadcasts, and potentially preventing platforms from banning savvy bettors.

The conversation with the capital region Democrat came in the wake of a hearing she co-chaired that examined protections against problem gambling on internet wagering platforms, such as illegal casino-style gambling and mobile sports betting, which generates billions in handle each year in New York.

“We’re really looking at it from a totality perspective,” Woerner said in an interview, which is available below.

One of the recurring topics of the hearing was the prevalence of push notifications from platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel to users on their smartphones. Woerner was particularly concerned about personalized messages, which she worried would be particularly harmful, even for New Yorkers without an existing gambling problem.

As for parlays, which are pushed by operators because they seem like a good deal for the user and are actually a money maker for the platform, Woerner said it would be helpful for people to have a better understanding of the real risk and reward. “There’s some work to be done to try and figure out a way to put some transparency, put some education, put some controls in place,” she said.

And when it comes to online sports wagering advertising on television, Woerner said, “We should be looking at prohibiting the advertising, specifically advertising odds during the games.”

She was also supportive of restricting the availability of “under” bets, which critics say are open to abuse, especially at the collegiate level. ” I think the under bets are definitely a problem … and we should get rid of them,” Woerner said.