NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A6880
SPONSOR: Gandolfo
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, in
relation to allowing bars and restaurants to organize and manage sports
squares pools
 
PURPOSE:
An act to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, in
relation to allowing bars and restaurants to organize and manage sports
squares pools
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Paragraphs (bb) and (cc) of subdivision 1 of section 1367 of
the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, as amended by section
3 of part Y of chapter 59 of the laws of 2021, are amended and a new
paragraph (dd) is added to read as follows:
(bb) "Suspicious wagering activity" means unusual wagering activity that
cannot be explained and is indicative of match fixing, the manipu-
lation of an event, misuse of inside information, or other prohibited
activity; (and)
(cc) "Independent integrity monitor" means an independent individual or
entity approved by the commission to receive reports of unusual wagering
activity from a casino, mobile sports wagering licensee, or commission
for the purpose of assisting in identifying suspicious wager- ing activ-
ity(.); and
(dd) "Sports squares pool" means a type of sports pool whereby two teams
competing in a single sports event are each separately assigned to the
x_ or y axis of a grid, with a numerical value assigned to each corre-
sponding column and row of such grid, and where bettors choose one or
more cells of such grid as the basis of their wager, with the winner of
such sports pool being determined by the cell or cells of such grid
corresponding with the resulting score at the end of, or at a pre-deter-
mined point during, such sports event, and any additional parameters set
By the organizer of such sports pool.
§ 2. Section 1367 of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law
is amended by adding a new subdivision 17 to read as follows:
17. A bar or restaurant otherwise operating in compliance with the
Provisions of title eight of article thirteen of the public health law,
and licensed to sell liquor, wine and beer on-premises pursuant to
Section sixty-four or sixty-four-a of the alcoholic beverage control
law, shall be permitted to organize and manage sports squares pools for
participation by customers of such bar or restaurant; provided that such
bar or restaurant does not take a profit from the funds of any such
sports squares pool, and that the entirety of wagers placed by bettors
participating in any such sports squares pool are paid to the winner or
winners of such sports squares pool. A bar or restaurant organizing and
Managing a sports squares pool in accordance with the provisions of this
section shall not be in violation of any other provision of this chap-
ter.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Bars and restaurants have been using football box pools to draw in
customers for years, and it's been largely unenforced. Now that New York
State has legalized sports betting, this administration decided to crack
down on this practice. The state has brought in nearly $1 billion
through the first year of legalized sports betting, and revenues will
only increase moving forward. Football boxes at a bar are clearly no
threat to this revenue stream.
Many of these businesses barely survived the Covid pandemic, and now the
state has taken away a proven method of attracting customers during the
slow winter months. It's hypocritical and unfair. Bars and restaurants
should be allowed to continue operating football pools, provided that
they are not taking a cut and profiting from the pool-selling.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6880
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 8, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GANDOLFO -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Racing and Wagering
AN ACT to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, in
relation to allowing bars and restaurants to organize and manage
sports squares pools
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraphs (bb) and (cc) of subdivision 1 of section 1367
2 of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, as amended by
3 section 3 of part Y of chapter 59 of the laws of 2021, are amended and a
4 new paragraph (dd) is added to read as follows:
5 (bb) "Suspicious wagering activity" means unusual wagering activity
6 that cannot be explained and is indicative of match fixing, the manipu-
7 lation of an event, misuse of inside information, or other prohibited
8 activity; [and]
9 (cc) "Independent integrity monitor" means an independent individual
10 or entity approved by the commission to receive reports of unusual
11 wagering activity from a casino, mobile sports wagering licensee, or
12 commission for the purpose of assisting in identifying suspicious wager-
13 ing activity[.]; and
14 (dd) "Sports squares pool" means a type of sports pool whereby two
15 teams competing in a single sports event are each separately assigned to
16 the x or y axis of a grid, with a numerical value assigned to each
17 corresponding column and row of such grid, and where bettors choose one
18 or more cells of such grid as the basis of their wager, with the winner
19 of such sports pool being determined by the cell or cells of such grid
20 corresponding with the resulting score at the end of, or at a pre-deter-
21 mined point during, such sports event, and any additional parameters set
22 by the organizer of such sports pool.
23 § 2. Section 1367 of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law
24 is amended by adding a new subdivision 17 to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08876-01-3
A. 6880 2
1 17. A bar or restaurant otherwise operating in compliance with the
2 provisions of title eight of article thirteen of the public health law,
3 and licensed to sell liquor, wine and beer on-premises pursuant to
4 section sixty-four or sixty-four-a of the alcoholic beverage control
5 law, shall be permitted to organize and manage sports squares pools for
6 participation by customers of such bar or restaurant; provided that such
7 bar or restaurant does not take a profit from the funds of any such
8 sports squares pool, and that the entirety of wagers placed by bettors
9 participating in any such sports squares pool are paid to the winner or
10 winners of such sports squares pool. A bar or restaurant organizing and
11 managing a sports squares pool in accordance with the provisions of this
12 section shall not be in violation of any other provision of this chap-
13 ter.
14 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.