New York Bill Would Prohibit Lowering Customer Wagering Limits

New York’s Fair Play Act is being discussed in the legislature, and it would restrict sportsbooks from limiting wager amounts on those who may win more often than not. It would be a boon to bettors who are often targeted for their ability to pick winners.

Customer Accountability

Assemblymember Alex Bores recently introduced Assembly Bill A09125, known as the Fair Play Act, which would prevent sportsbooks from arbitrarily limiting betting limits to those whom they deem sharp. The spirit of the bill is to ensure that all customers are treated equally and disqualify the practice of targeting winning bettors by lowering their limits.

The bill would make it mandatory for all sportsbooks to email customers 24 hours before their limits are reduced, and the reason would have to align with suspicious betting activity or responsible gambling concerns. The email would articulate why the ban was imposed and how long it will be in effect. If it is related to problem gambling, the customer would be furnished with a gambling hotline number, explaining the reason for the ban.

Prohibited Practices and Legislative Process

The language of the bill states sportsbooks are “prohibited from limiting the size or frequency of deposits or wagers” regarding a customer who “obtains financial benefit” from wagering. The bill has been referred to the Racing and Wagering Committee and will likely be a topic of discussion when the legislature convenes in January.

It has been a hotly debated topic, not only in New York but throughout the nation, as the sportsbooks defend the practice but have not offered any concrete evidence as to what triggers a wagering limit reduction. Critics say limiting winning players will drive them away from the US market and either into the arms of unregulated sportsbooks or disincentivize them from betting altogether.

Massachusetts Following Suit?

The issue of player limit reductions has been a hot-button topic in Massachusetts as well. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has been investigating the practice, and its findings reveal that only 0.64% of the customers in the Bay State were subject to decreased limits as of December 2024.

Carrie Torrisi, sports wagering division chief for the MGC, explained that “players who demonstrate a tendency to win have their limits decreased, and players who demonstrate a tendency to lose have their limits increased.”

The MGC chairperson, Jordan Maynard, also pointed out that Massachusetts customers who have had their limits reduced are given “little to no justification or notification.”

The Public’s Concerns

Last year, legendary sports bettor Billy Walters spoke in front of the National Committee of Legislators from Gaming States and specifically raised this issue.

“The thing that I’m really concerned with for legalized sports betting is that we have disparities,” Walters said. “I think in the United States that we were all born and raised to believe in everyone being treated equally and being treated fairly. So, if you qualify for a sportsbook account and your money is clean, it’s legal, I think you should be treated equally legally.”

Walters also added, “They are arbitrarily throwing people out of sportsbooks because they just want to throw them out. They haven’t violated the rule. They haven’t done anything wrong, and the majority of time is because, frankly, many of these people who operate these sportsbooks don’t have the expertise to be an operator.”