New York’s online sports bettors may face restrictions on college campuses, according to a new legislative proposal put forth by Senator Andrew Gounardes.
The proposed Senate Bill 10470 aims to ban online sports betting operators and platforms from processing wagers placed by individuals on any New York college grounds. This bill is currently under review by the Senate Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee and hasn’t been assigned a hearing date yet.
If this legislation is passed, operators will have until August 1, 2027, to deploy geolocation and geofencing technologies designed to identify and block bets made from campus locations. Additionally, educational institutions will need to supply the New York State Gaming Commission with the necessary geographic and boundary data to uphold this regulation.
Senator Gounardes stated in the bill, “All mobile sports wagering operators and platform providers shall, on or before August first, two thousand twenty-seven, implement geolocation and geofencing technology.” The legislation specifies that these systems must adequately identify and avert wagering on college property.
Currently, New York has nine licensed online sports betting operators, with eight actively functioning. The proposed bill also includes penalties for noncompliance, though specific amounts have not been defined.
In an interview with Sports Betting Dime, Gounardes clarified, “My bill doesn’t prohibit legal sports betting. Instead, it establishes a proactive measure aimed at protecting a demographic that we recognize requires safeguards.” He pointed out that universities already restrict alcohol, tobacco, and other harmful activities, suggesting that existing geolocation tools could enforce a similar ban on sports betting.
Meanwhile, a counterpart bill in the Assembly, known as Assembly Bill 10526, has been introduced by Assemblymembers Rebecca Kassay and Deborah Glick and is set for discussion in the Assembly Racing and Wagering Committee. Gounardes has highlighted the increased gambling risks faced by young adults.
“Young individuals are highly susceptible to gambling addiction. Statistics show that Americans aged 18-24 experience gambling issues at rates two to three times greater than the general population. We have a responsibility to implement protective measures that safeguard this youth segment,” he remarked.
This proposal aligns with other gambling protection initiatives in New York, including Gounardes’ “Sports Wagering and Minors Act,” introduced on January 29, 2026, which calls for age verification for account holders and enables parents to register personal data with platforms to prevent minors from creating accounts.
Governor Kathy Hochul has also advocated for legislative measures to limit underage access to online sports gambling. Earlier this year, she stated, “We must restrict location-sharing and take further steps to prevent our youth from engaging with online sports betting—fighting early addiction.”
In 2024, Maryland entertained a similar campus gambling restriction, but the proposed bill did not progress. Towson University opposed the initiative, expressing concerns regarding the technical feasibility of a geofence, alongside ethical and privacy issues surrounding network use.