New York State Gaming Commission Urges Leagues to Reach Out With Sports Betting Concerns

• The New York State Gaming Commission today sent letters to all leagues that participate in New York sports betting
• Commission urges leagues to reach out if they feel certain markets or bets should be restricted, limited, or excluded
• The commission is currently evaluating all individual player prop markets in the state to determine if modification need to be made

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The New York State Gaming Commission today sent letters to each league that participates in New York sports betting, urging representatives to reach out if they feel certain markets or bet types should be restricted, limited, or excluded in the state.

Letters were sent to the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, MLS, and every other league that is featured in New York’s sports betting catalogue. While New York state law allows each sport league the ability to seek restrictions, limitations, or exclusions of wagers they feel would improve event integrity, no league has yet to make a request of the gaming commission.

“Although we have yet to receive any such request from any league, we strongly encourage – and expect – each of your leagues to avail yourselves of this tool, should you have a reasonable belief that such a restriction, exclusion, or limitation would improve wagering integrity,” the gaming commission wrote.

Evaluating New York Sports Betting

The letters were sent to league representatives as part of the New York State Gaming Commission’s ongoing evaluation of certain New York sports betting markets that may be vulnerable to manipulation.

As part of the investigation, Chairman Brian O’Dwyer announced in November the New York State Gaming Commission’s gaming division staff will examine all individual player prop markets that are game specific and certain single-game specific, multi-leg individual player parlay markets to determine if any are unprotected from sports betting manipulation. If certain markets are determined to be vulnerable to corruption, O’Dwyer said the commission will eliminate those markets.

The commission is seeking input from each league to determine what types of bets and markets they feel may pose a threat to event integrity.

“Should we receive such a request, the Commission would act with alacrity – despite the 60-day regulatory timeframe referenced.”

Sports Betting Scandals Lead to Evaluation

O’Dwyer said the decision to evaluate certain New York sports betting markets stemmed from several recent sports betting scandals.

The New York State Gaming Commission first asked for input in November from the NBA and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. In an email to the league, the state is open to modifying its sports betting offerings if the league requests for it to do so.

The request followed news that Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier had been arrested in October through a federal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for potentially manipulating a 2023 game performance as part of an illegal sports betting ring. Shortly after, news also broke that current NBA coach and hall of fame member Chauncey Billups, plus former player and coach Damon Jones, had also been arrested for their roles in an illegal poker scheme involving New York families of the mafia.

Jones was included in both the poker and sports betting indictments.

While MLB and major U.S. sports betting operators recently agreed to limit betting amounts to $200 per user for certain micro-betting markets after its own scandal, O’Dwyer noted in New York “that discretion lies solely with us.”

“While limiting exposure is a good step, it may not be enough. It is not enough,” he said.

Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were charged in a sports betting and money laundering conspiracy this past summer, as the pitchers allegedly rigged pitches during the MLB season and shared information with corrupt sports bettors.