Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, speaks during a news conference earlier this year.

Legislation introduced recently in the state Assembly would prohibit mobile sports wagering operators from providing counseling, therapy, and treatment services for bettors in New York.

Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, R-Round Lake, said the prohibition contained in A.9146 would ensure that individuals seeking counseling, therapy, and treatment for problem gambling through mobile sports wagering websites and platforms are directed exclusively to the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) for help rather than treatment providers who may have a financial arrangement with sports betting providers.

If approved, Woerner’s bill will require mobile sports operators to direct individuals seeking counseling, therapy, and treatment services for problem gambling exclusively to the problem gambling webpage maintained by OASAS.

“Problem gambling is a growing public health concern in New York, particularly with the rapid expansion of mobile sports wagering,” Woerner wrote in her legislative justification. “OASAS was established as the designated state agency for addiction services, including services for problem gambling. It oversees one of the nation’s largest addiction services systems with more than 1,700 prevention, treatment, and recovery programs for New York residents. … Crucially, OASAS administers the credentialing for problem gambling, counselors, prevention practitioners, and prevention specialists, and all services are available regardless of ability to pay.”

From 2020-24 calls to the state gambling hotline has increased 30.7% from 2020 with the largest single year increase of 25.9% from 2021 to 2022 when the state legalized mobile sports betting. In January 2022, mobile sports betting was implemented in NYS. Prior to 2022, the top reason for calls made by those experiencing gambling harms were harms related to casino-based gambling. Since 2022, the top reason has been online betting

From 2020-23, the annual number of New Yorkers engaged in inpatient or outpatient treatment with gambling disorder ranged from 3,535 in 2020 to 5,173 in 2023. The annual number of New Yorkers engaged in inpatient or outpatient treatment with gambling disorder increased 46.3% from 2020, something OASAS officials attribute to mobile sports betting.

Current law requires mobile sports operators to provide links to and contact information for OASAS on their websites and platforms, but also allows operators to advertise, promote, and make referrals for counseling services for practitioners that are not credentialed by OASAS, are not located in New York, and are not free of cost. It also allows mobile sports operators to advertise and promote organizations and entities that provide counseling and therapy services that the mobile sports operators may have a financial relationship with.

“This presents a potential conflict between the mobile sports operator’s interest in generating revenue by the number of bets placed and lost versus an individual’s need for help to limit or stop gambling,” Woerner wrote. “It also means that an individual seeking help may not be connected with services located in their community or with providers credentialed by OASAS. This legislation addresses that conflict, and ensures that individuals seeking counseling, therapy and treatment services will receive help, regardless of ability to pay, through the state’s official system of addiction care, OASAS.”