More New Yorkers are seeking help for gambling problems as mobile sports betting revenue has soared for the state.
An increase in wagering activity led to an 8.5% increase in calls to the state’s problem gambling hotline from 2020 to 2025, when there were 2,545 calls made to the state’s HOPEline, according to a report released Wednesday by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.
This comes as mobile sports betting, which became legal in January 2022, has emerged as New York state’s second-largest source of gaming revenue, coming in behind only the lottery, which has seen revenues decline by nearly 10% in fiscal year 2026 from 2023, the report states.
“While the legalization of mobile sports betting in New York has boosted state revenues, the rise in problem gambling, particularly among young people, is a major concern,” DiNapoli said.
Legal forms of gambling in New York – the lottery, casinos, sports betting, video lottery terminals, horse racing and fantasy sports – generated more than $5.1 billion for the state in 2026, an increase of $1.3 billion, or 32.7%, from 10 years ago, according to the report. It notes that aside from mobile sports betting, revenues from the other forms of gaming declined by 0.8%.
New Yorkers have placed more than $91.2 billion in mobile sports bets since 2022, producing $8.3 billion in gross gaming revenue, and taxes paid on it increased 78.4% to $1.3 billion between fiscal years 2023 and 2026, the report found.
Last year, there were 7.2 million unique mobile sports wagering accounts in the state, according to DiNapoli, citing a report from the state Gaming Commission and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports. The average amount bet per account was $3,500 and the average wager was $42. Basketball topped all sports with more than $9 billion.
“The rapid proliferation of the prediction markets, which generate significant revenue based on sports activities, only makes it easier to get hooked on these online platforms,” DiNapoli said. “I was encouraged by the state’s decision to double funding for problem gambling services from $6 million to $12 million, but this is a drop in the bucket compared to the billions being wagered.”
New York state spends the vast majority of gambling tax revenue on public education aid.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced an effort in April to survey residents on the effects of gambling and assess if additional services are needed to help problem gamblers.
New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help on the OASAS website or by calling the state’s toll-free line at 1-877-846-7369.