ALBANY – The state’s growing mobile sports betting industry is raising concerns about problem gambling, with calls to the state’s problem gambling hotline up 8.5% since 2020, according to a report released Wednesday by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
The state’s HOPEline received 2,545 calls in 2025, as mobile sports betting continued to expand. Since its launch in January 2022, more than $91.2 billion has been wagered on mobile sports betting in New York, generating $8.3 billion in gross gaming revenue.
Mobile sports betting generated $1.3 billion in state tax revenue during the 2026 fiscal year, making it the state’s second-largest source of gaming revenue behind the lottery.
“While the legalization of mobile sports betting in New York has boosted state revenues, the rise in problem gambling, particularly among young people, is a major concern,” DiNapoli said.
A 2025 state report found 7.2 million unique mobile sports wagering accounts in New York. The average amount wagered per account was $3,500, with an average wager of $42.
DiNapoli also raised concerns about the growing use of prediction markets, such as Kalshi and Polymarket, which allow users to trade contracts tied to real-world events, including sporting events.
He noted that prediction markets can be accessed by people as young as 18, compared with a minimum age of 21 for mobile sports betting in New York, and face fewer advertising restrictions.
The comptroller said more information is needed about the demographics of people experiencing gambling problems and how mobile sports betting is affecting them. New Gaming Commission regulations requiring improved data collection took effect in February.
New York increased funding for problem gambling services from $6 million to $12 million, according to DiNapoli.
The state collected more than $5.1 billion in gaming revenue during fiscal 2026 from lotteries, horse racing, casinos, video lottery terminals, sports betting and interactive fantasy sports. Excluding mobile sports wagering, revenue from those other forms of gaming declined 0.8%.
DiNapoli said the state needs to do more to understand the effects of mobile sports betting and protect consumers as wagering continues to grow.
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