New York seeks to prohibit in-play betting

• The Empire State continues to tighten to usher in new regulations meant to protect the integrity of sports
• A new pitch by a lawmaker wants to prohibit in-play or live betting on sports in the state
• An estimated 70% of the total betting action currently is placed through live plays

New York was loath to regulate sports betting when it did so in 2021, and at first sought to only allow a single license. Later, the Empire State settled for a rather steep tax regime.

New York may pull the plug on live betting

Since that time, New York has continued to push and tighten the regulatory screws on the industry. One such move comes at the end of 2025, as reported by Legal Sports Report, which said that a new bill, A 9343, has been submitted by Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, and which seeks to restrict in-play betting in the state.

Live sports betting is one of the most popular segments in the country, with experienced and recreational players enjoying the dynamism of play-by-play action and engaging in it.

In fact, 74% of the total sports betting handle may be generated through in-play betting channels, argues data provided by Genius Sports’ BetVision and cited by the publication.

The animus against live sports betting is not exactly new. Such markets have been called into question in the wake of two major scandals to seize some of the largest sports competitions in the United States - the MLB and NBA, with insiders trading information and feigning injuries to secure individual betting outcomes.

The ensuing legal battles and public scrutiny have also put lawmakers on notice that they need to step up and do something to ensure that sports betting preserves its integrity.

Another line of attack against sports betting has been proposition bets - individual wagers that are placed on very specific outcomes in the game. College prop bets have been criticized repeatedly, and some states have even outlawed them.

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