The recent legislation aimed at preventing college students from engaging in gambling on campus, while well-meaning, leaves numerous issues unresolved.
A bill that lingered in a Senate committee during the New York legislative session, known as SB10470, claims to establish a "narrowly tailored geographic safeguard focused on a population with demonstrated vulnerability." However, legal expert Douglas Mishkin argues that merely prohibiting mobile sports betting on college grounds may not effectively address the underlying issues.
Sponsored by State Senator Andrew Gounardes, the bill seeks to restrict mobile sports wagering operators from allowing bets via mobile applications on college campuses. It mandates the implementation of geofencing measures to limit gambling exposure for students and reduce distractions in academic environments.
Despite its noble intentions, Mishkin, a compliance specialist and former senior vice president of legal affairs at Metric Gaming, suggests that the legislation may not be practical. He emphasizes that while it may mitigate some problems, it does not resolve them entirely.
“I don’t expect that legislation is passed with the assumption that it’s going to 100-percent address what it’s trying to address,” Mishkin stated. “But that would require some real study, I imagine.”
A similar bill, A10526, was left in committee when the legislative session concluded on June 5. The next session is set to begin in January, providing Gounardes an opportunity to refine or expand the bill's scope, as suggested by industry insiders.
The original proposal also includes new responsibilities for college administrations, such as providing necessary geographic data to the New York State Gaming Commission to ensure compliance through geofencing.
Previous attempts to legislate similar measures have faltered; a comparable bill in Tennessee was unsuccessful this year, and a geofencing initiative for K-12 schools has recently been introduced in Pennsylvania. Additionally, a campus ban geofencing bill in Maryland was deemed “not technically feasible” by Towson University officials in 2024.
Mishkin believes legislators will grapple with whether such enforcement strikes an appropriate balance between effort and results. He points out that the challenge of reducing distractions for students is particularly complex.
“What are you ultimately trying to solve for, practically, and would legislation along these lines in fact address those concerns?” he questioned. “And if so, to what extent would they address them?”
While acknowledging that the legislation could have some effectiveness, Mishkin raises concerns about its overall impact and whether it is the right approach given the practical realities of sports betting distractions.