New York Sports Betting Bill Would Ban Live Wagers

If a rehashed assembly bill is successful, the New York sports betting market will no longer offer live wagers as an option.

Ahead of the state’s 2026 legislature meetings, which convened at the beginning of January, assemblymember Linda Rosenthal proposed A 9343. While it has other parameters, its primary aim is to remove live sports betting in New York following a (semi-)recent run of reported gambling scandals.

As of now, the measure is considered a long shot to pass. Live betting in the United States has become too important to the industry’s model. Sportsbook operators in The Empire State will forcefully push back. The same can be said for certain policymakers looking to maximize New York sports betting tax revenue.

Still, the viability of A 9343 is not the end-all. The fact this initiative is being pushed at all, again, speaks to potential souring perception on live sports betting.

It comes as no coincidence that this New York sports betting bill would be on the table mere months after both MLB and the NBA were the subject of major gambling scandals. In fact, the past year or so has been illuminating for the entire industry of sports betting in the United States.

Latest New York Sports Betting Bill was Likely Incited by Gambling Scandals

Gambling scrutiny is at an all-time high. That makes sense when you consider the timeline. The Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act back in 2018. That is the better part of a decade ago. So many states initially rushed to join the legal sports betting ranks in the immediate years thereafter. Now that the industry is older, though, everyone has more information about what’s working—and just as importantly, what’s not working.

Myriad issues have come to light as a result. From the socioeconomic impacts of legal sports betting and athlete harassment to gambling addiction and potentially compromised competitions, all the prospective and active downsides are taking center stage.

As Matthew Waters of Legal Sports Report writes, it is the gambling scandals, in particular, that are prompting the latest New York Sports betting bill:

“The bill is likely a reaction to recent sports betting scandals across multiple sports, but would also mean a significant hit to tax dollars. The recent sports betting scandals in the MLB and NBA have every sports betting stakeholder looking at options to better uphold the integrity of the games. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine wanted to end certain micro bets after two pitchers from a team in his state were accused of rigging certain pitches for betting purposes. The MLB worked with the governor and sportsbooks to cap specific pitch markets betting at $200 and prevent them from being parlayed. The NBA also changed some of its injury reporting guidelines and is taking a look at rules for prop bets, like not allowing betting on prop unders or eliminating bets based on a single play.”

As we can see, New York isn’t the first state to attempt addressing live bets. But will this initiative lead to a similar compromise?

The Challenge in Banning Live Bets

This issue is complex on a number of levels. First and foremost, we needn’t mince words: The New York sports betting market will not be banning live bets.

These wagers now account for a huge share of certain sportsbooks’ transactions—especially when it comes to betting on the NFL and college football. One example, according to Waters, is Genius Sports’ Betvision. Around 74 percent of their total handle during the NFL season came from “in-play” wagering.

To be sure, this is an outsized share. Industry heavyweights like Bovada, BetOnline, DraftKings, FanDuel, etc. likely aren’t as dependent on live wagers. Rest assured, though, they are a bigger part of the sports betting lexicon overall.

Hence sportsbooks in the United States have fought vehemently against similar legislation in other states. It will be no different with the New York sports betting market. If anything, they will more aggressively counter-campaign. Without legal sports betting in California or Texas, The Empire State is by far and away the USA’s most lucrative gambling market. Banning live bets in New York could set a precedent that catches hold in other regions. Sportsbooks will want to avoid that.

A Live Sports Betting Compromise Could Be in Play

None of which is to say that the New York live sports betting bill won’t have some impact on the state’s gambling setup—or the industry at large. Guardrails such as transaction caps have been put in place elsewhere. New York could follow that same blueprint.

Sportsbooks still won’t love that. But they may have to make concessions somewhere. After all, the concern surrounding live bets isn’t exactly misplaced. They are the sports betting transactions most vulnerable to manipulation.

It is not just that many in-play wagers pertain to individual players. Sure, that is part of the equation. But manipulation of a single-quarter line or micro bet (such as the first pitch of an MLB game) is far simpler than controlling how an entire contest, let alone season or championship tilt, ends.

Of course, A 9343 has to have support among legislators for any sort of compromise or change to take place. At the moment, it’s tough to say whether that’s the case. But the New York state legislature is slated to adjourn sometime in June. So, we’ll know soon enough.

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