The New York Legal Gambling Age Could Be Increased

Should a recently introduced bill pass, the legal gambling age for retail casinos in the Empire State could be increased. 

Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. introduced Senate Bill 2610. Should this pass, anyone under 21 would be prohibited from gambling in New York. 

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Under current New York law, people 18 and older can access 17,600 video lottery terminals (VLTs) across nine racinos in the state. The New York State Gaming Commission manages VLTs.

These are available at Yonkers Raceway, Resorts World New York City, Saratoga Casino Hotel, Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack, Resorts World Hudson Valley, Hamburg Gaming at the Fairgrounds, Vernon Downs Casino Hotel, Batavia Downs Gaming, and Jake’s 58 Hotel & Casino.

However, the 2013 commercial casino law mandated that players be 21 or older. Four casinos are upstate: del Lago Resort and Casino, Resorts World Catskills, Rivers Casino Schenectady, and Tioga Downs.

This is also the case for tribal casinos, with Turning Stone being the only exception, which is still 18 or older. 

With the 10-year moratorium coming to a close, we can also expect to see retail casinos downstate soon, despite Gov. Kathy Hochul's veto of legislation in November. 

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Addabbo is also the chair of the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming, and Wagering. He wants to change VLTs to be like commercial casinos in that players must be 21 or older to play. He first introduced such legislation during the 2011-12 session and has been unsuccessful since. 

The Gaming Committee will review his bill. Last year, it passed with a 5-2 vote but fell flat in the Senate Rules Committee.

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Revenue generated by VLTs is considered part of the New York Lottery, which helps aid public education. 

In the 2023-24 fiscal year (April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024), VLTs kept about $2.3 billion of the $39.5 billion wagered. The state’s contribution from the net winnings was roughly $1 billion. 

Empire City was atop the list at nearly $311 million, with Resorts World at $281.4 million. 

“The Commission aspires to provide the regulatory structure necessary for New York gaming activity to operate effectively in a global, evolving, and increasingly competitive marketplace to generate revenue for aid to education and for the support of government, and to contribute to overall economic development and job creation in New York,” per the mission statement of the New York Gaming Commission.