The office of the New York State Comptroller issued a report on the recent expansion of gambling in New York — read: mobile sports betting — and what it’s meant thus far for state revenue and problem gambling.

However, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli doesn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about the data he received from the New York State Gaming Commission and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports, specifically as it relates to problem gambling.

“The Gaming Commission, in conjunction with the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) is required to publish an annual report on the impact of mobile sports betting on problem gambling, but the initial report provided little insight,” DiNapoli wrote by way of introduction to the 12-page report. “More attention should be devoted to understanding the implications of mobile sports betting, particularly on young New Yorkers, and to documenting and tracking the extent of gambling addiction.”

On the issue of problem gambling, information was particularly scarce. The report from the comptroller notes the OASAS issued a six-page annual report in April of this year, and it “contains very limited data on the impact of MSW [mobile sports wagering] on problem gambling in the state and demographic information on individuals affected by the addiction.”

The report does note that calls to the OASAS support line — which doubles as both a gambling and substance abuse hotline — were up 26% from 2021 to 2022, before leveling off for the most part this year.

Mo’ calls, mo’ problems?

Even if all those calls were gambling related, it doesn’t necessarily mean there is a 26% uptick in problematic gambling.

For instance, Pennsylvania saw a similar 25% uptick in calls to its dedicated problem gambling helpline last year, but the state’s executive director of the nonprofit Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania noted that while he thinks there’s more gambling problems in the state since sports betting and online casino became legal, he also said “there’s also something to be said for increased awareness.”

Calls to the OASAS for some clarification on the 26% increase went unreturned.

On the revenue front, the report noted that in state fiscal year 2021-22, mobile sports betting brought in over $360 million to the state in taxes, wrecking the projected number of $99 million, and the $727 million in 2022-23 was double the projection of $357 million.

Despite the rapid growth, the state’s Division of Budget expects mobile sports betting to top out over the next four years, increasing by a little less than 7%.

The report also discussed the future of three downstate casino licenses, though no timeline was indicated.

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