Lynnae Williams Journalist
Lynnae is a journalist covering the intersection of technology, culture, and gambling. She has more than five years of experience as a writer and editor, with bylines at SlashGear and MakeUseOf. On the iGaming side,...
Read Full BioNew York lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow state regulators to ban bettors who harass athletes or other sports participants from placing legal sports bets.
Senate Bill S07482 would amend New York’s racing, pari-mutuel wagering, and breeding law to add a new category of “prohibited sports bettor.” If the legislation passes, it would give the New York State Gaming Commission the authority to ban bettors who’ve been found to have engaged in a harmful pattern of conduct toward amateur or professional athletes, coaches, officials, or other participants in sporting events.
Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (D) introduced the legislation, which has been referred to the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming, and Wagering. If the bill is passed by the Legislature, it’ll go into effect immediately.
Under the legislation, a prohibited sports bettor would include “any individual found to have harassed or shown a harmful pattern of conduct directed at amateur or professional athletes, coaches, officials, or participants of a sports event,” including “verbal, written or electronic threats, lewd or obscene statements or images, vandalism or nonconsensual physical contact.”
The bill specifies that the conduct must be such that the individual “knew or should have known” it would cause “a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional distress, substantial fear for their safety or the safety of another person, or substantial fear for the destruction of their property.”
According to the bill text, the gaming commission would notify anyone it designates as a prohibited bettor and give them an opportunity to submit a written appeal or request removal of the designation.
Proposal Follows Increased Focus on Betting-Related Harassment
If the bill becomes law, New York will join a handful of states taking a hard line against bettors who harass athletes and others involved in sporting events. In 2023, Ohio became the first state to target bettors who threaten athletes, coaches, or officials. Under the law, the Ohio Casino Control Commission can ban anyone found to have violated the prohibition against harassment from using the state’s regulated sportsbooks.
West Virginia lawmakers passed similar legislation in 2024, giving the state lottery commission authority to ban a bettor who “poses a threat to the safety of patrons or participants in a sporting event or determines that the person has engaged in a pattern of conduct of harassing a sports official, coach, or any participants.”
The Wyoming Gaming Commission approved rules in 2024 to add individuals who harass athletes to the state’s involuntary exclusion list, effectively cutting them off from licensed sportsbooks.
Bettor harassment of athletes has attracted significant attention at the collegiate level as well. A 2025 NCAA study found that 36% of Division I men’s basketball players reported experiencing social media abuse linked to sports betting, with harassment often tied to wagers on individual performance or game outcomes.
The NCAA has been outspoken on betting-related abuse of student-athletes and has repeatedly warned that it poses a risk to their well-being and the integrity of sporting events. Most recently, NCAA President Charlie Baker called on state regulators to ban player prop bets following the indictment of 26 individuals in a massive federal point-shaving and sports-bribery conspiracy.
As more states adopt anti-harassment measures and sports organizations take a stance on the matter, they hope the message to bettors will be clear: targeting athletes over gambling results will carry consequences far beyond the betting slip.
