The New York Senator who sponsored a “predatory sportsbook bonuses” bill will reintroduce the measure, his communications director told Bonus yesterday.
State Sen. Peter B. Harckham‘s communications director, Tom Staudter, responded yesterday to a question Bonus sent on Wednesday about whether he’d sponsor the bill in an active session.
Lawmakers need to reintroduce bills that they sponsored during legislative recesses once they return to Albany. The New York State Legislature started the 2023 session on Wednesday. Harckham introduced the “predatory sportsbook bonuses” bill on Nov. 30.
Staudter said to Bonus yesterday:
Yes, Sen. Harckham plans on reintroducing his bill in the new Senate session.
Bonus then sent follow-up questions of “when” and “why,” but hasn’t yet received a response.
Old Reasoning for the ‘Predatory Sportsbook Bonuses’ Bill
Presumably, Harckham plans to reintroduce S9605 for the reasons he outlined in the bill justification. When Harckham, D-Lewisboro, introduced the bill on Nov. 30, he said he was doing so because he read recent coverage in The New York Times.
On Nov. 20, the Times published articles about US online gambling expansion.
Harckham writes in the bill’s justification:
The mobile sports betting industry is utilizing targeted advertising that is personally tailored to lure in new customers from right within their homes. This means that following legal sports betting in New York State, multitudes of people who were not formerly presented with these predatory practices will fall susceptible to gambling addiction that could have otherwise been avoided.
The bill’s justification is longer than the 1-page proposed legislation that:
Directs the New York state gaming commission to promulgate rules and regulations regarding predatory sportsbook bonuses in mobile sports betting
It’s unclear if Harckham’s “predatory sportsbook bonuses” bill reintroduction will contain more details.
Meanwhile, the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) is already enforcing regulations, including responsible gambling requirements, with the nine New York online sportsbook operators, according to state Sen. Joseph Addabbo.
Addabbo, D-Ozone Park, said so in a phone interview with Bonus on Dec. 30.
‘Predatory Sportsbook Bonuses’ Bill Brings Awareness
Addabbo told Bonus that Harckham’s bill highlights the regulations already in place in the state’s legal online sports betting marketplace that launched on Jan. 8, 2022.
While the outspoken gambling expansion advocate says there could always be more safeguards added, which he especially wants to increase in New York online casino legislation he’ll propose, there are many in place already.
So Addabbo said to Bonus that the Times coverage simply reiterated what lawmakers already knew, Harckham’s proposed legislation did add value.
Addabbo told Bonus regarding Harckham’s “predatory sportsbook bonuses” bill:
Its importance is raising awareness.
Days after Harckham introduced the bill, Addabbo said to Bonus that he didn’t think the proposed legislation would harm New York online casino legalization efforts.
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