Boosted by March Madness wagering, the month’s figures reflected a healthy rebound from February’s $1.98 billion but still fell short of January’s record-setting $2.48 billion handle.

However, despite the jump in handle volume, New York’s March Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) dipped to $161.8 million compared to February’s $184.8 million tally, reflecting a tightening of operator margins in the final month of the fiscal year.

Overall, New York’s fiscal year totals for 2024/25 helped establish mobile sports betting’s healthy growth trajectory, with its handle soaring to $23.94 billion – up by over 20.3% from the previous year, having posted $19.89 billion in 2023/24.

Similarly, despite the drop in March, New York’s mobile wagering GGR also climbed year-on-year to $2.14 billion, mirroring a comparable 20.4% from its 2023/24 total of $1.78 billion.

New York in March: DraftKings and FanDuel Dominate

DraftKings led the charge in March, posting a $912.1 million handle, which equated to a 37.4% market share in mobile sports betting. The major operator also claimed the highest GGR in a month where profits were squeezed, generating $62.6 million, about 38.7% of the state’s March totals.

Flutter-owned FanDuel wasn’t far behind in the mobile wagering stakes, declaring $862.2 million in handle (35.3%) and $59.5 million in GGR (36.7%).

Fanatics, BetMGM, and Caesars Sportsbook l obtained a combined 22% share in betting handles, with the smaller and newer operators in New York acquiring the remaining 5.2%.

Operators’ Momentum Amid Margin Pressures

While the raw data suggests New York State has a strong consumer engagement with mobile betting, March Madness would have created a substantial draw of betting interest for the month.

However, despite March’s increased handle volume, operators’ GGR did dip unexpectedly, suggesting either the sporting outcomes were more favorable for punters or, more than likely, the state’s sportsbooks were compelled to set tighter odds or offer more in promotional credit to compete.

Either way, the clear divergence only highlights the volatility that operators in the state face, even amid New York’s prolific wagering volumes.

Predictably, DraftKings and FanDuel dominated the market, capturing over 72% of the total mobile wagering handle and 75% of GGR in March.

Meanwhile, emerging players such as Fanatics are beginning to carve out their own market share, which could indicate increasing competition among the dominant forces in New York’s evolving sector.

Nevertheless, one thing remains certain: New York’s consistent posting of a multi-billion monthly wagering handle has again solidified its position as the market leader in North America’s sports betting landscape.

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The RPP is a shared initiative between the New York State Gaming Commission, the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) and the New York Council on Problem Gambling (NYCPG) to help address problem gambling, as well as ensure all gaming entities are compliant with rules and regulations and offer help to individuals who need it.

Further measures being implemented by the RPP include “providing prompt support to gamblers who find themselves in crisis, ensuring that gaming industry workers are properly trained to identify and interact with potential problem gamblers and collecting specific data from mobile sports wagering operators to better research its impact on New Yorkers”.

Discussions for the additional measures took place at the del Lago Resort & Casino in Waterloo earlier this week, bringing further support and services to the Finger Lakes and Central New York regions.

“The RPP was formed to bridge the gaps between all stakeholders to address problem gambling,” commented Robert Williams, Executive Director of the New York State Gaming Commission.

“These latest spans bring timely help to those who need it, ensure that industry employees know how to address the issue, and ensure that we are obtaining meaningful data to properly scope mobile sports wagering’s reach.”

From 12 November, New York’s voluntary self-exclusion service will include an option for individuals to opt-in to being contacted in a timely manner by a trained gambling harms staff from the OASAS HOPEline.

In addition, the NYCPG has updated its problem gambling training for gaming employees in the state. This training will help them spot the signs and symptoms of problem gambling behaviour, know how to interact with individuals who may be struggling, as well as provide employees with an overview of applicable statutes and regulations and OASAS research findings.

“New York State has instituted protections to guard against problem gambling, as well as help individuals affected find the help they need,” said Dr. Chinazo Cunningham, Commissioner for OASAS.

“We will continue to work with our colleagues in the Responsible Play Partnership to expand and enhance these supports, improve training on how to promote responsible gambling, and ensure that all New Yorkers can access help and support.”

The Gaming Commission has also proposed regulations requiring sports betting operators to report specific data to the Commission every year after spotting inconsistencies in previously reported data.

“The Commission and OASAS are required to report annually on ‘the impact of mobile sports wagering on problem gamblers in New York, including, to the extent practicable, an analysis of demographics which are disproportionately impacted by the problem gambling”, the Commission’s statement read. 

“The Commission and OASAS found in the 2022 and 2023 reports that several mobile sports wagering operators have not consistently maintained such information in a manner to appropriately gauge which populations are participating in mobile sports wagering and how they wager.”

The proposed regulations state that the specific reported data includes:

• Total amount wagered and number of bets placed
• Total amount and number of bets won
• Total amount wagered on each sport
• Total number of accounts, including new accounts created and average account balances
• Total number of accounts permanently closed and the number of self-exclusions

Each account’s sports betting skin must also provide to the Commission:

• The zip code
• Total amount wagered
• Number of bets placed
• Money won or lost
• Time on the platform
• Number of times they access the responsible play webpage
• Number of times they reach the statutory deposit betting-pause threshold and what action the player took
• The day of the week and hour of day the most wagers are placed and most money is wagered
• Account holders’ gender and race and ethnicity, if voluntarily provided

Lance Young, General Manager and EVP of del Lago Resort & Casino, added: “del Lago staff is dedicated to delivering world-class hospitality, and ensuring our guests have access to responsible gaming resources is a pillar of that. 

“Across our entertainment facilities, our team strives to provide the level of personal service that allows them to recognise the signs of problem behaviour and connect guests with the resources that can help. We thank our state and local partners for their work with us to promote responsible play and provide support for those who need it.”

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The updated marketing rules were approved at the group’s meeting on Monday with unanimous support and partially addressed some of the concerns raised by S1550, a proposed bill that aims to offer improved responsible gambling information on sportsbook advertising.

Through the Empire State’s updated legislation, an opt-out option must be available for anyone who no longer wants to receive marketing, while preventative measures will also be introduced to limit any sort of advertising that promotes harmful gambling or gambling as a right of passage. 

Additionally, operators will no longer be allowed to advertise specific bets or use ads featuring characters that predominantly appeal to minors, such as cartoon characters. 

Other limitations include an advertising ban in areas where the “reasonably foreseeable percentage” of the audience is under the legal wagering age and a stipulation whereby marketing on college-owned assets, such as school papers and radio stations, is strictly prohibited.

These regulatory amendments may have come as unsurprising to operators in New York after Congressman Paul Tonko recently announced plans for a federal bill to apply severe bans on sports betting marketing, comparing it to those applied to cigarettes. 

A significant portion of the new rules outlined a clampdown on revenue share advertising agreements, as the regulations stated: “No casino sports wagering licensee or sports pool vendor may enter into an agreement with a third party to conduct advertising, marketing, or branding on behalf of, or to the benefit of, such licensee when compensation for such services is dependent on, or related to, the volume of patrons, wagers placed, or the outcome of the wagers.”

This issue has also been debated elsewhere in the states this week, as Massachusetts regulators proposed laws that would forbid both CPA and revenue share deals in the Bay State 

Moreover, the NYSGC discussed how the process of downstate casino licensing is going so far. Likely due to the influx of licence applications, the commission has received hundreds of concerns regarding the request for application process, however will take the next three weeks to address these issues before moving to the next stage of licensing. 

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The New York State Gaming Commission has allowed for three state casino licences, and Bally’s aims to claim one in order to change part of the golf course in the Bronx into a casino establishment. 

According to a report from the New York Times, Bally’s found a deal with the Trump Organization to control 17 of the property’s 192 acres for a $2.5bn casino project. 

If successful in its licence application and casino project, Bally’s would be allowed to remove the ‘Trump Links’ name from the property under the terms of the reported deal.

Soo Kim, Chair of Bally’s Corporation, told the New York Times that the company has “the right to exercise our option at any time to make a payment and essentially step into their lease.”

Bally’s is also rumoured to be considering a further deal for more space on the Trump property. However, any new project on the site would have to be approved by New York City as the Trump Organization still has less than 20 years left on its current lease.

The Bally’s Chair also signalled a potential second casino bid, declaring that a lease option has been considered for nine acres in Willets Point. The operator also recently gained crucial city council support for its $1.7bn Chicago project.

Bally’s are not alone in their New York interest, with a host of organisations staking their claim for one of the three commercial casino licences, which are to cost a licence fee of $500m each. 

In partnership with SL Green and Roc Nation, Caesars Entertainment has pushed for a Time Square casino development. Meanwhile, Mohegan has linked-up with Soloviev Group in the latter’s bid as the casino partnership of Freedom Plaza in New York. 

While the NYSGC is yet to publicly announce exactly when bidders will be selected, rumours continue to circle with reports that MGM Resorts, Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts are all also interested.

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The bill aims to reclassify certain poker formats, such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha, as games of skill, rather than chance, to make them legal across the Empire State.

HB1380 seeks to amend to the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding laws to classify both poker formats as games of skill, declaring that ‘courts have found that where a contest pits the skill levels of the players against each other, those games are games of skill and not games of chance’.

The bill also highlighted that the internet can help players find illicit ways of accessing online poker. HB1380 states that this issue needs “regulatory oversight to safeguard the integrity of the games and participants”.

With this legislation, the New York State Gaming Commission would operate regulatory oversight of online poker from 180 days of the bill coming into place, with 11 licences becoming available to companies with pre existing class III gaming licences as well as VLT licences. 

Further, all licence holders would be subject to a one-time fee payable to the gaming commission over a maximum of 60 months, standing at $10m. 

HB1380 also suggests a tax rate of 15 per cent on all GGR made from those online poker operators, with the funds set to be used to top up the state lottery fund for New York. 

This is not the first time an attempt has been made to legalise poker in the Empire State, following numerous previous probes that had little to no impact. 

In January 2019, Senator Joseph Addabbo introduced a similar bill that also sought to provide 11 licences across Class III licensees and VLT-certified establishments. 

Unfortunately, that bill failed to pass the house and Sen Addabbo repeated this failure in 2021 with a bill aiming to legalise both online poker and online casino.

Despite the previous failures, Pretlow will hope to have the support needed for the bill to pass through the legislative procedures required. This could be helped by the impressive performance of the state’s sports betting market since it launched last year, which yielded record taxes.

Lawmakers within New York are set to amend the state’s sports betting laws in order to offer tax relief to operators who have, so far, paid 51 per cent tax on GGR since the market launch.

Suggested proposals would see the tax burden of these companies decreased to either 50 or 25 per cent, depending on specific conditions. 

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Analysts state that bettors within the Empire State “continue to place bets at a rate never seen before,” with players wagering $1.6bn from January 8-30, including $449.3m in bets during the week ending on January 30.

This, in turn, makes New York the official US record holder for betting volume in a single month, breaking New Jersey’s handle record of $1.3bn set in October.

According to PlayNY, January appears to be the first month since January 2020 that any state other than New Jersey will lead the nation in sports betting volume.

The operator race for the week January 30 saw FanDuel lead the way with $141.8m, ahead of Caesars’ $128.1m, DraftKings with $102.2m, $37.5m recorded by BetMGM $37.5m, and BetRivers that finished up with $10.2m.

This has led to $113m in revenue for the operators, including $21.6m in the week ended January 30. This revenue has so far yielded $57.6m in tax revenue for the state. 

Mike Mazzeo, lead analyst at PlayNY, noted: “New York supplanting New Jersey as the nation’s largest sports betting market was inevitable, but few thought it would take only three weeks. 

“Betting should calm some once football season ends and operators slow their promotional spending. Still, it’s clear that New York is going to be the flagship sports betting market in the US for the foreseeable future.”

Furthermore, the New York State Gaming Commission has inked a pair of alliances in a bid to offer practical tips to players of legal age, and others, who may be gambling for reasons other than entertainment.

The NYSGC, together with the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports and the New York Council on Problem Gambling, comprise New York’s ‘Responsible Play Partnership’.

This new player-focused version of the “Responsible Gifting is Always a Bright Idea” campaign, launched last year, supports the RPP’s goal to advance a long-term commitment to preventing and treating compulsive gambling. 

Other guidance offered in the campaign counsels players to avoid chasing losses, and reminds them that gambling is not a reliable source of income and should not lead them into debt.

Robert Williams, Commission executive director, said, “The new advocacy campaign recognises that gambling is a form of entertainment that should be pursued responsibly. 

“As both a gaming regulator and operator, we want people to make responsible, informed choices and understand how setting time and spending limits can enhance the overall experience.” 

Last week, WynnBet also become the latest operator to join New York’s online sports betting ecosystem, joining Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, Rush Street Interactive, BetMGM, and PointsBet.

“WynnBet beginning operations in New York is a monumental step in the growth of our company,” stated Ian Williams, Wynn Interactive president. 

“New York represents a significant population of our Wynn Rewards membership, and we are confident in our ability to compete in this market by providing the first-class service and gaming experiences synonymous with the Wynn Resorts brand.”

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The regulator adds that each licensee named has satisfied all statutory and regulatory requirements necessary to accept and process mobile sports betting activity, and have subsequently been approved to commence operations.

After the aforementioned date, each licensee will determine when to accept wagers, which the NYSGC says will be based upon its business capabilities and readiness.

It is added that the remaining five licensees, which encompasses BetMGM, Bally’s, Wynn, Resorts World, and PointsBet, will continue to work towards satisfying statutory and regulatory requirements necessary to launch and will be approved on a rolling basis when they are met.

Upon issuance of the ten-year licenses, which have a $25m fee attached, in November 2020, regulators deemed that permits would not be granted to Penn National, bet365, theScore Bet, Fox Bet, and Fanatics.

DraftKings, which has previously opened a 6,000 square-foot retail sportsbook in Waterloo’s del Lago Resort and Casino, has expressed its delight at the group’s imminent debut within the Empire State.

“As a longtime Boston sports fan, I can personally attest to countless fiery rivalries against various New York teams, and that passion is what makes these fanbases so special within this globally revered sports entertainment mecca,” commented Jason Robins, CEO, co-founder and chairman of the board at DraftKings. 

“We are pleased to bring new levels of access and immersive engagement to New Yorkers with the arrival of mobile sports betting. A special thanks to Governor Hochul, Senator Addabbo, Assemblyman Pretlow, the New York Gaming Commission along with the tireless efforts of our dedicated DraftKings team.”

Elsewhere, RSI’s entry into the region, whose revenue will be taxed at a rate of 51 per cent, issued thanks to the NYSGC “for its professional and efficient support” as the group prepares to go live this weekend.

Richard Schwartz, CEO of RSI, noted: “The long-awaited launch of online and mobile sports betting in New York – the largest online sports betting market by population in the United States – is here, and just in time. 

“With the college football championship game on January 10 and NFL playoffs approaching, and the NBA and NHL seasons in full swing, in addition to countless other sports and betting options available for play, fans have endless entertainment at their fingertips at BetRivers.”

The post New York clears Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel & RSI for mobile wagering appeared first on CasinoBeats.

This follows the New York State Gaming Commission approving the four mobile sports wagering operators of DraftKings, Rush Street Interactive, FanDuel, and Caesars, to commence the activity from no earlier than 9am on Saturday 8 January. 

After the former pair stressed immediate excitement at the impending launch, Chris Holdren, co-president of Caesars Digital, said in a statement obtained by Forbes that the group is “thrilled” to be one of the first operators to launch in the market.

“Today’s news from New York is an exciting step in the expansion of sports betting. From Buffalo to the Bronx, New York is a special place,” he added.

Straying from these entities, Gambling.com Group has voiced readiness at providing marketing services to licensed online sports betting operators in the region once the legalised market begins.

In anticipation of the New York launch, the company has developed two regional specific websites where sports bettors can find trusted, comprehensive, and up-to-date information on sports betting in the state.  

The company says that, based on the guidelines established by the NYSGC, it satisfies the necessary requirements to provide marketing services to licensed operators in the area.

“It is difficult to overstate the significance of New York State going live with legal online sports betting,” said Charles Gillespie, chief executive officer of Gambling.com Group. 

“As the largest state by population to accept legal sports bets in the US to date, there is a massive opportunity for the New York market to be not just the biggest jurisdiction for sports betting in the country, but in the world. 

“Gambling.com Group is well positioned to help operators and customers succeed in this new and very exciting market.”

Meanwhile, Better Collective stated that it has entered into partnership agreements with three of the four confirmed for debuts, as well as being in dialogue with the fourth.

Marc Pedersen, CEO of Better Collective US, noted: “Unlocking the fourth most populous state in the United States to mobile sports betting is a huge moment for Better Collective and our growing portfolio of US assets.  

“We are strongly positioned and excited to continue delivering sports betting content to the many thousand sports enthusiasts from New York that visit our sites daily. ”

Elsewhere, Kambi CEO Kristian Nylén described the launch as a “significant milestone” for the growth of the B2B sports betting services supplier, which was a primary applicant on one of the applying consortiums.

“Being selected to operate in New York by the New York State Gaming Commission underlines the high quality, integrity and reliability of Kambi’s sports betting technology and I’m delighted that Kambi will be up and running on day one of the market, in time for the business end of the NFL season,” he commented.

“New York is among the most populated and sports passionate states in the US and will no doubt be one of the largest regulated wagering markets in North America, one we are both excited and honoured to be playing a leading role in.”

The remaining five licensees, which include BetMGM, Bally’s, Wynn, Resorts World, and PointsBet, will continue to work towards satisfying statutory and regulatory requirements necessary to launch and will be approved on a rolling basis when they are met.

Earlier in the week, PlayNY predicted that New York will “find it difficult” to reach its originally projected $500m in annual tax revenue by 2024 due to its 51 per cent tax rate. 

To reach this target, it added that New York’s nine online operators will need to combine for $1bn in gross gaming revenue, a threshold that has never been reached by a US market over the course of a single year.

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The ten-year licenses, which have a $25m fee attached, were issued to a pair of applying consortiums, one of which, led by FanDuel, includes Bally’s, BetMGM and DraftKings.

A second group, which was also one of two submissions spearheaded by Kambi, featured Rush Street Interactive, Caesars, Wynn, Resorts World and PointsBet.

Regulators, who deemed that licenses will not be granted to Penn National, bet365, theScore Bet, Fox Bet, and Fanatics, are expectant that gamblers will be able to place bets by next year’s Super Bowl NFL showpiece which is slated to take place on Sunday 13 February at California’s SoFi Stadium.

RSI praised a “momentous occasion” after being issued with its green-light, as well as asserting delight at proceeding through a “very thorough bidding process”.

“New York is a crown jewel market with more than 20 million residents which, upon launch, will become the largest online sports betting market in the United States,” explained Richard Schwartz, CEO of RSI. 

“Moreover, it is home to some of the most passionate sports fans in the nation. We look forward to bringing our award-winning online gaming platform and customer service to New York, deepening our roots in the state and region, and creating an omnichannel experience for sports bettors that we have successfully executed upon across the country.”

Elsewhere, Bally’s looked forward to its “latest milestone” amid continued US expansion, with Soo Kim, chair of the group’s board of directors, noting: “Bally’s is pleased to have been awarded an online sports betting license from the state of New York — the most populous state to enable OSB — and would like to thank the New York State Gaming Commission for including Bally’s in this exciting endeavour”.

Johnny Aitken, PointsBet USA CEO, explained: “Today’s news of being recommended by the New York State Gaming Commission marks an exciting moment for us at PointsBet. 

“Having the potential to secure market access to New York state – expected to be one of the largest and most important markets in the United States –represents another major milestone for our company, our brand, and our technology. 

“We are thankful to the Gaming Commission for this recommendation and believe it speaks volumes to PointsBet’s reputation and ability to deliver an unrivaled, world-class experience. 

“We eagerly await the official opportunity to leverage our exclusive sports betting partnership with NBC Sports and introduce the nation’s premier sports betting product to the countless passionate, sports-loving New Yorkers.”

Elsewhere, WynnBet suggests that New Yorkers “represent a significant portion of the Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Boston Harbor databases,” and that the group “look forward to giving those customers more ways to earn and use Wynn Rewards. We also look forward to meeting and engaging with new customers in the state via WynnBet”.

Tom Reeg, CEO of Caesars, commented: “We’ve been looking forward to the opportunity to bring mobile sports betting to New York. With more than 19 million people, New York will be the biggest mobile sports betting market in the country, and we feel we are uniquely positioned to bring an incredible product to that market.”

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The partnership will provide Penn Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of PNG, with second skin access to the New York mobile sports betting and online casino market, subject to legislation being enacted and regulatory approvals.

“Gaining potential access to what could become one of the nation’s most lucrative sports betting markets has been a major priority for our company,” said Jon Kaplowitz, Penn National’s senior vice president of interactive gaming. 

“We are hopeful that the New York State Assembly will follow those leading revenue producing states that allow for multiple skins for mobile sports betting. A state the size of New York certainly warrants open competition and a free market approach.”

Penn Interactive currently offers online wagering on sports in two states, namely Pennsylvania and Michigan, and anticipates operating its Barstool Sports mobile sportsbook app in at least 10 US jurisdictions by the close of 2021.

“We’re very encouraged by the initial results we’ve seen in Michigan, as we registered over 48,000 new customers and generated total handle of $27.5m during the first 10 days of operation,” added Kaplowitz. 

“We remain very confident in our ability to win sizable share in new markets based on the power of the Barstool brand and media assets, which allows us to begin to leverage the meaningful cross-sell opportunities from the Barstool Sportsbook, icasino and our mychoice loyalty program audiences. We hope to bring our unique and exciting brand of sports entertainment and casino to the Empire State.”

Spectrum Gaming Group last month determined that New York’s gaming market will return to pre-COVID levels in 2023, as the group delivered a bumper estimate for combined retail and digital sports wagering across the entire state.

The long awaited 358-page study, published by the New York State Gaming Commission but authored by the Pennsylvania-based research firm, estimated that brick-and-mortar and online sports betting in the jurisdiction boasts the potential to generate between $816m to $1.14bn.

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