Mobile sports wagering became New York’s second-largest source of gaming revenue in fiscal 2026, behind only the state lottery, after generating $1.3 billion in tax collections, according to a report from State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The figure was up 78.4% from $727.4 million in fiscal 2023.
The report puts mobile betting at the centre of the state’s gaming growth. New York collected more than $5.1 billion across its authorised gaming forms in fiscal 2026, while revenue from all other forms fell 0.8% when mobile sports wagering was excluded.
Since mobile betting began in January 2022, New Yorkers have placed more than $91.2 billion in wagers through mobile platforms, producing $8.3 billion in gross gaming revenue through the end of fiscal 2026. Sports wagering is restricted to people aged 21 and older; in-person betting is permitted only at the state’s authorised commercial and tribal casinos.
The comptroller’s report also highlighted indicators of gambling harm. The HOPEline received 2,545 calls in 2025, an 8.5% increase from 2020, and mobile sports wagering has been the leading reason for calls since 2022.
DiNapoli said the revenue gains had come with an important cost. “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,” he said.
There were nearly 7.2 million unique mobile wagering accounts in 2025, with 77% held by people aged 21 to 44. People aged 25 to 34 held the largest share, at 40%. The average amount wagered per account was $3,500 and the average bet was $42.
The report recorded more than 2.2 million mobile-platform transactions in 2025. Five sports accounted for more than 90% of wagers, with basketball alone attracting more than $9.1 billion. Betting tends to rise between October and March, alongside events including the World Series, Super Bowl and NCAA basketball tournament, while July through September is normally the quietest quarter.
The figures also showed how sporting results can alter operator revenue. During the NBA Finals, played June 3-13, more than $1 billion was wagered over two weeks, but gross gaming revenue was a net loss of $14.4 million because winning payouts exceeded wagers received. Excluding the finals week, wagering during the FIFA Men’s World Cup from June 11 to July 19 reached $2.5 billion, up $775.5 million, or 45.7%, from comparable weeks in 2025.
The comptroller flagged attempts at underage betting despite the statutory age limit. Underage people attempted to open mobile wagering accounts 791 times in 2025, while alleged cases of underage participation through lawfully established accounts rose from 54 in 2023 to 1,972 in 2025. The report attributed those cases to minors gaining access to accounts established legally by adults.
New York had 1,887 active people on its gambling self-exclusion list. State law requires mobile wagering and commercial casino operators to maintain problem-gambling plans, comply with advertising restrictions and display a problem-gambling hotline number prominently in advertisements. It also required annual assessments of mobile wagering’s effect on problem gamblers, including demographic analysis where practicable.
DiNapoli separately warned that prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket could exacerbate gambling harms because participants can use them from age 18 and the platforms are not subject to New York’s restrictions intended to curb problem gambling. The report describes the services as financial platforms where users trade contracts tied to the outcome of real-world events, including sport.
Their trading volumes have grown sharply. Kalshi recorded more than $24 billion in global volume in 2025, while Polymarket’s volume was nearly $27.1 billion. By July, combined global volume on the two platforms totalled $208.6 billion; sports-related contracts represented 79.8% of Kalshi’s volume and 51.2% of Polymarket’s from January through July.
New York sued Kalshi on July 31 for allegedly running an illegal gambling operation, as we reported at the time. The Gaming Commission had previously sent the company a cease-and-desist letter in October 2025 alleging it operated and made available an unlicensed mobile sports-wagering platform tied to sporting events.
The comptroller said the state needed stronger understanding of mobile betting’s effects and better consumer protections as wagering continues to expand.
