New York Senator Seeking to Prohibit Online Sports Betting on College Campuses

• A New York Senator has introduced a bill banning online sports betting on New York college campuses
• Sen. Andrew Gounardes’s (D-26) bill, S10470, will prohibit online sports betting on any college campus located in New York
• If approved, the bill will go into effect on Aug. 1, 2027

One Senator hopes to reduce exposure to New York online sports betting for Empire State college students through a recently introduced bill.

Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-26) recently introduced S10470, which will effectively geofence off all New York college campuses to prohibit online sports betting. The legislation officially prohibits online sports betting operators or platform providers from permitting, accepting, or facilitating online sports bets from individuals located on any New York college campuses.

“My bill doesn’t ban legal sports betting. Instead, it creates a clear, specific safeguard focused on a population we know needs it. The same way colleges restrict alcohol, tobacco, and other potentially harmful activities on campus to protect students, we can do the same here. Many sports betting platforms already use geolocation and geofencing to block activity in unauthorized locations. My bill uses this same proven approach to create a campus boundary standard. By keeping gambling off campuses, we can help ensure they stay spaces focused on learning instead of financial risk-taking,” Gounardes told Sports Betting Dime.

Eliminating Academic Distractions

According to his legislation, the potential law will limit gambling exposure for New York college students and reduce distractions in an academic setting.

“The truth is young people are especially vulnerable when it comes to gambling abuse. The data is clear: Americans 18-24 struggle with gambling addiction at a rate two to three times higher than the general population. We owe it to young people to offer fair protections that keep them safe,” he said.

If approved, all New York online sports betting operators will have to implement geofencing technology around college campuses to block online sports betting by Aug. 1, 2027, at the latest. The legislation currently resides in the Senate Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee. It has yet to be scheduled for a hearing.

New York currently has nine licensed online sports betting operators, eight of which are active in the Empire State. The bill, if signed into law, will prohibit individuals from placing online sports bets on any New York college campuses.

“All mobile sports wagering operators and platform providers shall, on or before August first, two thousand twenty-seven, implement geolocation and geofencing technology to ensure compliance with the provisions of subdivision two of this section. Such technology shall be capable of reasonably detecting and preventing wagering activity occurring on the property described herein,” Gounardes wrote in the bill.

Each New York college campus will be required to cooperate with the New York State Gaming Commission to provide the necessary geographic data and campus boundary information to allow operators to effectively fence off their campuses to online sports betting.

Underage Gambling Negatively Effecting Health, Safety of Minors

On Jan. 29, 2026, Gounardes introduced a separate piece of legislation, “Sports Wagering and Minors Act,” designed to prevent illegal underage gambling on sports betting platforms. The legislation requires operators to conduct age assurance for account holders and allows parents to register their personal data with an online platform so an underage user cannot borrow it to create an account.

“My Sports Wagering and Minors Act holds companies accountable and gives parents new tools to keep kids safe. There’s no reason to gamble with our children’s well-being,” Gounardes said in a released statement after introducing the bill.

His bill, S7908, came two weeks after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) challenged lawmakers during her state of the state address to find new methods to deter underage New Yorkers from having access to sports betting and online gambling.

Gov. Hochul touched on the need for more online safeguards for the youth of New York, citing the dangers of exposure to online sports betting, online gaming platforms such as “Roblox,” and social media for those under 18.

“Let’s block location-sharing and let’s do more to cut off access to online sports gambling so our kids are not ensnared by addiction at a young age,” she said.