A new study found that New Yorkers are split over the future of online sports betting, although one-third of sports fans participate in the pastime.
Key Takeaways
- 31% of football fans and 30% of baseball fans said they bet on sports.
- A near-even split of respondents said sports betting added entertainment to sports but created potential pitfalls.
- The majority don’t believe commentators should be allowed to discuss bets during broadcasts.
The poll was conducted by Siena Research Institute (SRI) during the week of Sept. 15-22. It fielded responses from 814 New York residents via phone, text to web, and an online panel.
The findings revealed 49% of respondents identified as football fans. Nearly 20% of residents and 31% of self-identified football fans said they place bets on football games through an online sportsbook.
With the MLB playoffs in progress, 39% of respondents also said they were baseball fans. Fourteen percent of residents and 30% of baseball fans said they place bets on baseball games via an online sportsbook.
“October finds football season in full swing and baseball now draws more fan interest as we near the World Series,” according to SRI director Don Levy. “While more New Yorkers say that they are football fans than baseball fans, nearly half of all New Yorkers and 93% of baseball fans plan to watch the baseball playoffs. Just over 40% regularly watch football games, including 79% of football fans.”
Thirty-nine percent of fans said sports betting adds another layer of entertainment and tax generation, while 37% said it increases problem gambling, financial worries, and integrity violations.
Despite many individuals declaring they bet on games, the majority of respondents said they don’t believe that commentators should be allowed to discuss sports betting during live broadcasts.
“Fans are more inclined to see the benefits rather than risks of online sports betting, but both fans and non-fans agree that sports commentators should not be allowed to talk about sports gambling and potential bets during the games,” Levy said.
New York prepares for busy months
New York sportsbooks have taken full advantage of the sporting calendar, including the return of the NFL and college football, as well as the MLB regular season and playoffs.
The New York Gaming Commission reported last week that bettors wagered nearly $2.3 billion in September, marking the first time they reached that milestone since May. The handle also represented an 11.7% increase on August's total.
There’s reason to believe that the numbers will be even higher this month since the state produced its third-largest monthly handle ever in October 2024.
With that in mind, New York Assembly member Alex Bores (D-73) in late September filed A09125, a bill that would prohibit sportsbooks from limiting the size and frequency of customers’ deposits or wagers, except in the case of those displaying suspicious or dangerous behavior.
“It’s a bill concerned with ensuring the integrity of a free market. I can’t think of many examples where someone is banned from their business for ‘being too good at it’ or ‘making too much money,’" Bores told Sports Betting Dime. “We don’t limit successful stock traders, profitable entrepreneurs, or anyone else earning a living by following the law. The bill also explicitly allows companies to ban or limit users for cheating.”
PrizePicks returns to New York
Elsewhere in the New York gaming scene, daily fantasy sports operator PrizePicks announced Wednesday it received an interactive fantasy sports operating license from the state regulator.
PrizePicks last year paid $15 million in a settlement with New York. With its peer-to-peer contests now in compliance with state regulations, the company expects to relaunch in the next couple of weeks.
