New York Attorney General Letitia James has issued a consumer alert warning New York residents to be aware of ‘deceptive online sports betting companies’ prior to Super Bowl LVI which takes place this Sunday February 13th.
The upcoming Super Bowl is the first major US sporting event to take place since New York launched mobile sports betting on January 8th, 2022.
According to a press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office, New Yorkers have been inundated with ads and promotions for online sportsbooks. The release goes on to explain that terminology such as ‘risk-free’ and ‘$1,000 welcome offer’ is often used in these promotions and can be misleading for first-time gamblers.
Attorney General James said:
“I urge all New Yorkers watching the Super Bowl and betting online for the first time to be careful — don’t let scammers game your gamble. Before placing a bet, do your research into the platform, read the fine print of the offer, and follow our other tips to avoid any red flags and keep the odds in your favor. Online sports betting companies that fumble their advertising to mislead New Yorkers can expect to hear from my office.”
The consumer alert goes on to give tips for gambling online safely and warns people to read the fine print relating to promotions. It also notes that they should be aware that some companies may place restrictions on an account based on certain types of betting activity.
Despite the warning, the release does not suggest that any online sports betting companies that are currently operating in the state have broken any laws relating to advertising. There are also no mentions of any complaints that may have been received by the New York State Gaming Commission.
Since mobile sports betting launched in early January, gambling operators have reported accepting over $1.6 billion in wagers comfortably beating exiting monthly sports betting handle records. Combined gross gaming revenue (GGR) generated by all providers up until the 30th January amounted to $112.9 million.
Based in London, Natasha is a former sports journalist with experience working for some of the biggest athletes & brands in the world of sports and iGaming.