In The News-New York State
Comptroller DiNapoli: New York Sees Surge in Mobile Sports Betting and Jump in Problem Gambling Calls
Mobile sports betting has become New York state’s second largest source of gaming revenue, trailing only the lottery.
In State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2026, mobile sports betting generated $1.3 billion in state revenues from taxes on gross gaming revenues, according to a report released by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. The report also notes that the increased wagering activity led to a 8.5% increase in calls to the state’s problem gambling hotline in 2025 since 2020.
“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,” Comptroller DiNapoli said. “The rapid proliferation of the prediction markets, which generate significant revenue based on sports activities, only makes it easier to get hooked on these online platforms….”
New York Currently has six different forms of statutorily authorized gaming: horse racing, the lottery, video lottery terminals (VLTs), casinos (commercial and tribal), sports betting (mobile and in-person), and interactive fantasy sports. Each of these provide a source of revenue for the state, most of which is used for education purposes. In SFY 2026, the state collected over $5.1 billion in gaming revenues, $1.3 billion (33%) higher than in SFY 2016. However, excluding mobile sports wagering, gaming revenues from all other forms declined by 0.8%.
The lottery remains the state’s largest source of gaming revenue with average annual growth of 1.8% from SFY 2010 to SFY 2023; but these revenues were 10% lower in SFY 2026 than in SFY2023 (peak).
Since its implementation in January 2022 through the end of SFY 2026, over $91.2 billion in mobile sports bets have been placed, generating gross gaming revenue of $8.3 billion, Comptroller DiNapoli reported.
According to a recent joint report from the New York State Gaming Commission and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), there were 7.2 million unique mobile sports wagering accounts in New York in 2025. The average amount wagered per account that year was $3,500, with an average amount per wager of $42. In 2025, five sports accounted for over 90% of all mobile sports wagers: basketball, football, baseball, tennis, and soccer. Basketball had more than $9 billion in wagers, leading all sports.
The total amount wagered, and the resulting gross gaming revenue and tax receipts vary during the year, driven in part by major sporting event schedules. For example, betting activity rises from October to March due to the World Series, the Super Bowl, and the NCAA’s “March Madness” basketball tournament.
In June 2026, betting activities across all authorized mobile sports wagering platforms increased by over $604 million (36.6%) year-over-year, but gross gaming revenues decreased nearly $90 million (43.5%). These results were influenced by the New York Knicks – considered underdogs with high sportsbook odds – winning the 2026 NBA Championship, according to the Comptroller. During the first two weeks in June, over $1 billion in mobile sports bets were made, but gross gaming revenues reflected a net loss of $14.4 million as a result of winning wagers paid out exceeding wagers received.
Prediction markets, such as Kalshi and Polymarket, are financial platforms where users can place bets on the outcome of real-world events, including sporting events. Since sporting events were added, global trading on these platforms increased significantly, $24 billion and $27.1 billion in 2025 for Kalshi and Polymarket, respectively. Through July, total trading volume for both was $208.6 billion. The majority of the global trading volume on both platforms is related to sporting events – 79.8% on Kalshi and 51.2% on Polymarket.
In October 2025, the New York State Gaming Commission sent a cease-and-desist letter to Kalshi for “illegally operating, advertising, promoting, administering, managing, or otherwise making available an unlicensed mobile sports wagering platform in New York state in connection with any sports event.” On July 31, the Governor and Attorney General announced that New York has sued Kalshi for running an illegal gambling operation in the state and to order Kalshi to forfeit all alleged illegal gains. In addition, a coalition of 44 state attorneys general, including New York, sent a letter stating that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission lacks authority to regulate sports-related event contracts.
Comptroller DiNapoli noted that the proliferation of prediction markets, their availability to participants younger (age 18) than those allowed for mobile sports wagering (age 21), and their being subject to fewer advertising restrictions could exacerbate problem gambling.
Although the most recent report has provided additional insight into how mobile sports betting has affected problem gambling, Comptroller DiNapoli asserted that additional information is needed, particularly in terms of the demographics of problem gamblers. New Gaming Commission regulations requiring improved data collection took effect on Feb. 28, 2026. Comptroller DiNapoli said policymaking in this area will benefit from improved data collection and timely reporting.
Governor Hochul Unveils Community Investment Framework to Assist Communities in Future Data Center Development
Governor Kathy Hochul this week announced the release of the nation’s first statewide Host Community Investment Framework for Data Center Development, as outlined in Executive Order No. 62. In addition, she reiterated that she is pursuing legislation to repeal sales tax exemptions for data centers across the State.
The Community Investment Framework (CIF) provides local governments with guidance for any future negotiations with major tech companies and developers. According to the Governor, localities are encouraged to use the CIF to build on the ongoing statewide regulatory frameworks being finalized by the Department of Public Service (DPS). These frameworks are designed to protect New York ratepayers from costs associated with data center development.
The voluntary CIF Framework establishes a recommended community investment benchmark of $1 million for every megawatt of utility demand associated with a data center project, recognizing the significant land, energy and infrastructure requirements of data centers and their comparatively lower number of permanent jobs per megawatt of electric demand, Governor Hochul explained. The benchmark is intended to help communities negotiate long-term investments that reflect the scale of the projects they host.
According to Governor Hochul, the Framework is designed as a flexible template that localities may use and modify based on their circumstances and priorities. It is intended to help communities negotiate and document commitments with data center developers, owners and operators while recognizing that every project and host community is different. The CIF, the Governor said, empowers localities to assess those demands alongside a project’s anticipated fiscal and economic benefits, including employment, PILOT agreements and potential environmental and infrastructure impacts.
Additional specifics of the Framework include:
Community Investment: Under the Framework, a 50-megawatt data center, for example, would carry a recommended community investment level of $50 million. Communities and developers would negotiate the timing and structure of those investments, including contributions to a locally administered Community Investment Fund.
The Framework provides localities with a range of potential community investments that can be tailored to local needs, including public infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer systems, parks and public transit; affordable and workforce housing; workforce training and apprenticeships; schools and educational programming; childcare; broadband access; public safety; community institutions and small business support; and revitalization of vacant or underutilized properties.
Good Neighbor Commitments: It also provides suggested Good Neighbor Commitments addressing potential impacts including water consumption, noise, lighting, building design and landscaping, and encourages projects to prioritize fair labor standards and local hiring. It calls for prevailing wages for construction workers and provides a structure through which communities and developers can establish local hiring commitments and engage organized labor on high-quality employment opportunities.
Non-Disclosure Agreements: The Framework recommends that if a data center developer asks a locality to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), the local government should carefully consider whether the proposed NDA benefits the community. If the local government decides to move forward with an NDA, the agreement should be limited to protecting proprietary or commercially sensitive information or trade secrets that are exempt from mandatory disclosure under the New York Freedom of Information Law.
Community Engagements: Localities are encouraged to engage residents and stakeholders early through transparent public processes, establish community priorities before negotiations begin, clearly define investments and implementation responsibilities, and plan for additional commitments if a data center expands or increases its infrastructure demands.
Annual Reporting: The Framework also recommends ongoing transparency once a facility is operating, including through annual reporting to host communities on metrics such as employment, water and utility usage, energy demand, Community Investment Fund contributions and environmental impacts and mitigation measures.
State Required Reviews: The Framework does not replace or supersede environmental review, permitting or other applicable laws and regulations. Data center projects must continue to adhere to established state, federal and local regulatory processes, including the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), and municipalities are encouraged to coordinate community investment agreements with those processes.
In The News-New York City
Comptroller Levine and Pension Trustees Commit $300M in New Capital to Fund Union-Built Housing in New York City
Comptroller Mark Levine and the trustees of four of New York City’s public pension funds this week announced a $300 million investment with the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust (HIT). This new investment is the latest step in the Comptroller’s commitment to invest $4 billion over the next four years in housing construction and preservation across New York City.
The four major NYC public pension funds are the Teachers’ Retirement System of the City of New York (TRS), the New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS), the New York City Police Pension Fund (NYCPPF), and the New York City Fire Pension Fund (NYCFPF).
“Programs like the HIT have a proven record of generating strong returns, jobs, and homes all at once,” said Comptroller Mark Levine. “This investment is a major step toward expanding our City’s crucial housing stock and tackling the rising cost of living. At a time when many New Yorkers are struggling just to keep a roof over their heads, our strategic partnership with the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust allows our pension funds to make a sound investment while delivering desperately needed housing and good union jobs.”
The four public pension funds will collectively become HIT’s largest investor. AFL-CIO HIT invests in the construction and preservation of homes, with a particular focus on workforce and affordable units, all with 100% union construction.
Since 2002, New York City’s public pension funds have together invested $583 million in capital with the HIT, with investment returns keeping pace with or outperforming their benchmarks. The HIT has created or preserved more than 40,000 housing units across the City.
The HIT continues to identify and finance projects across New York City to create or preserve housing amid a generational shortage. The program’s current project pipeline in the five boroughs is expected to create or preserve approximately 10,000 units in the coming years, with a combined total development cost of $4.1 billion. Several of those projects are expected to get under way later this year.
Vision Zero Reimagined
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani this week released Vision Zero Reimagined, a 10-year street safety blueprint that advances more than 100 policies designed to prevent traffic deaths and injuries while unlocking the full potential of New York City’s streets as public spaces.
The Mayor’s plan focuses on eight strategic goals that guide the City’s next phase of Vision Zero:
Goal 1: Remove dangerous drivers from our streets.
The City will focus on removing these drivers from the streets by strengthening legal accountability and using data-driven automated enforcement to identify people who routinely violate traffic laws. This includes closing enforcement gaps created by “ghost plates,” raising standards for maintaining and restoring driver licenses, and launching New York City’s first Super Speeder program — enabled by changes included in the FY2026 Budget.
The Enacted FY2026 included language requiring certain “super speeders”– drivers with 16+ speed‑camera violations in a year, covering school‑zone and red‑light cameras–to install Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) devices in their vehicles ISA systems monitor speed via GPS and posted limit data, and can restrict a vehicle’s maximum speed to the legal limit. The law applies to Failure to install the device within 45 days can result in vehicle registration revocation.
Goal 2: Promote safe, certified micromobility while curbing dangerous devices and riding behavior.
The City will create a “safety framework” that holds delivery platforms accountable for unsafe practices, expands bike and e-scooter share with built-in safety training, aligns e-bike rules with national and international standards, and removes illegal or uncertified devices from City streets.
Goal 3: Encourage safer travel through walking, transit, micromobility and car share over private automobile use.
The City will continue shifting travel away from private automobiles by making “safer” options — walking, transit, micromobility and shared vehicles — more affordable, reliable and convenient. This includes building a faster, more accessible bus system, expanding protected and low-stress cycling networks, and lowering the cost and increasing the accessibility of bike and e-scooter share.
Goal 4: Discourage oversized vehicles and prepare for new vehicle technologies.
The City will advocate for stronger federal vehicle safety standards that prioritize pedestrian and cyclist safety, promote safer truck designs and advocate for local oversight over any future deployment of autonomous vehicles. At the same time, the City will shift freight to “safer and more sustainable” modes such as cargo bikes, rail and waterborne transport.
Goal 5: Expand and maintain safety-focused street designs.
The City will expand safety interventions such as pedestrian-priority zones, protected bicycle networks, traffic-calmed corridors, and safer intersections while modernizing designs to reflect changing travel patterns and the needs of street users.
The City will complete safety redesigns on untreated Vision Zero Priority Corridors over the next three years, install hardened daylighting or better treatments at a minimum of 1,000 intersections each year, and expand implementation of Sammy’s Law (allows New York City to lower its speed limit to 20 MPH with posted signage).
Goal 6: Cultivate a safety culture through education, enforcement and shared responsibility.
This includes expanding automated enforcement, ensuring vehicles are properly registered and identifiable and closing loopholes that enable license plate fraud and unsafe commercial operations.
Safe behavior will be reinforced through sustained education, including integrating Vision Zero into public school curricula, expanding outreach to older adults and updating operator training to reflect current street conditions.
Goal 7: Leverage emerging data, technology and analysis for smarter interventions.
The City will create a unified Vision Zero data warehouse and use emerging technologies to better understand how people move around the city, identify crash circumstances, and uncover safety patterns that can guide future interventions.
Goal 8: Lead by example with the safest municipal fleet in the nation.
New York City will use its scale and purchasing power to set the national standard for vehicle safety including expanding the use of proven safety technologies such as Intelligent Speed Assistance, automatic emergency braking, high-visibility truck designs, telematics and audible alerts while strengthening driver training across City, contracted and regulated fleets.
Mayor Mamdani Reappoints Doug Lipari as Executive Director of NYC Talent
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the reappointment of Doug Lipari as Executive Director of the Office of Talent and Workforce Development (NYC Talent).
NYC Talent will support workers and employers, strengthen service delivery and expand access to civil service careers through public investment, data-driven strategies, and interagency collaboration.
Lipari joined NYC Talent in 2023 to launch Community Hiring, an initiative to create pathways to good-paying jobs and union apprenticeships for low-income New Yorkers, including NYCHA residents and working-class communities. Community Hiring requires City contractors to meet workforce goals as part of their contracts.
He also leads the City’s negotiations of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), which cover several billion dollars in City construction projects. The agreements help control costs, ensure workers receive fair wages and benefits and create pathways to union construction careers.
Lipari brings more than a decade of City government experience in procurement, labor compliance and workforce development. He began his career as a labor analyst at the Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks), where he helped ensure City contractors paid workers fair wages. He later served as Deputy General Counsel of the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services.
Lipari holds a Bachelor of Arts from Duquesne University and a Juris Doctor from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
Briefs
Governor Hochul Announces Energy Rebate Checks Going to 8.2 Million New York Households Starting Next Week
Governor Kathy Hochul announced that energy rebate checks up to $200 will be sent to 8.2 million households across New York State starting on September 21st. Checks will be mailed directly to eligible New Yorkers, with deliveries to continue through December. There is no need to apply, sign up or do anything to receive a check, according to the Governor’s office.
Governor Hochul’s FY2026 enacted budget included a one-time $1 billion Protecting Our Wallets Energy Rebate (POWER). POWER checks will provide $200 to joint filers with incomes under $150,000 and $150 to joint filers with incomes between $150,000 and $300,000. Single filers with incomes under $150,000 will receive $100. The rebates will be issued as advanced credit checks and will be mailed out between September and December.
Individuals are eligible for this rebate credit check if, for tax year 2024, you:
- Filed a timely New York State Resident Income Tax Return;
- Were a full-time resident for New York State;
- Reported income within the qualifying thresholds; and
- Were not claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s return.
New York Named Safest State for Teen Drivers for Third Year in a Row
A recent traffic safety analysis of all 50 states ranks New York as the overall best state for teen drivers for the third consecutive year. New York State continued at the top of the 2026 WalletHub study, which looked at many factors, including the number of teen driver fatalities, the availability of driver education and the existence of driver training and impaired driving laws.
WalletHub analyzed 23 key metrics across all 50 states, specifically looking at safety, accidents and injuries, and state laws. They used data from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Governors Highway Safety Association, the American Automobile Association and more organizations.
New York had the fourth-fewest teen driver fatalities per capita, the fourth-lowest percentage of drivers who use phones while driving, and the third-lowest prevalence of poor turning (turning while accelerating too much). New York ranked second overall in safety and second in effective driving laws.
The WalletHub analysis also found that New York has the most driving schools per capita, the third-fewest teen DUI arrests per capita, and that New York has nearly all the optimal driving laws recommended by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.
NYS Council on the Arts Capital Project Fund Releases Grant Application
Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations are eligible to apply for capital funding through the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Capital Projects Fund. Grants range from $10,000 to $10 million to support organizations and projects of all sizes. The FY2027 Capital Projects Fund totals $80 million.
NYSCA’s Capital Projects Fund will support arts and cultural nonprofits seeking State funding for investments in capital improvements that allow organizations to sustain and expand cultural programming for diverse audiences, promote accessibility and environmental sustainability, preserve and create jobs, and ultimately contribute to the growth of New York’s dynamic arts and tourism sectors.
FY 2027 Capital Projects Fund opportunities are:
- Small and Midsize Capital Improvement Grants for Arts and Culture: This opportunity funds projects initiated by nonprofit arts and cultural organizations of any size, with construction and capital equipment grants of up to $2 million that prioritize accessibility, artistry, cultural development, sustainability, health and safety, and structural and historical improvements.
Grants of $50,000-$2 million support up to 50 percent of the project’s total cost. No-match grants of $10,000-$99,000 are also available for organizations with operating budgets under $2 million.
Strong projects combine excellence in design with informed decisions about organizational capacity and community needs that will positively affect the future of arts and cultural organizations across New York.
- Large Capital Improvement Grants for Arts and Culture: This opportunity will support arts and cultural nonprofits across the state that are undertaking impactful, large-scale capital improvements. Grants will range from $2 million to $10 million for projects that have a total cost of $4 million or more (grants support a maximum of 50 percent of the project’s total cost). This funding will support investments that allow organizations to thrive by expanding cultural programming, reaching new and diverse audiences, and promoting accessibility. These grants will also help advance the State’s goals around economic development and will require all applicants to commit to social equity initiatives and access plans that serve all New Yorkers.
- Capital Design Grants for Arts and Culture: This opportunity will support the development of mid-stage and advanced design documents for arts and cultural nonprofits with operating budgets of $10 million or less across the state that are planning eligible capital improvements and are currently in the early stages of design. Grants will range from $50,000-$500,000, for a maximum of 50 percent of the design phase’s total cost. No-match grants of $10,000 to $99,000 will also be available for organizations with budgets under $2 million.
National Toy Hall of Fame Reveals 12 Toy Finalists
The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York, announced the 12 finalists for induction into the hall: bingo, Bop It!, Care Bears, Mahjong, Monster High dolls, Mouse Trap, Pokémon Trading Card Game, Polly Pocket, slide, Sorry!, Tickle Me Elmo, and Yahtzee.
Fans can join the debate by voting for their favorite finalists from September 16 to 23 as part of a “Player’s Choice” ballot. The three toys that receive the most public votes will join the other top-three submissions by members of the National Selection Advisory Committee. (The public will collectively act as one member of the 23-member committee.) The final 2026 toy inductees, chosen based on the ballots, will be announced by The Strong National Museum of Play in early November.
The Strong’s National Toy Hall of Fame recognizes toys that have engaged and delighted multiple generations. Criteria for induction include: Icon-status (the toy is widely recognized, respected, and remembered); Longevity (the toy is more than a passing fad and has enjoyed popularity over multiple generations); Discovery (the toy fosters learning, creativity, or discovery through play); and Innovation (the toy profoundly changed play or toy design).
Toys that have been inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame include alphabet blocks, American Girl Doll, Barbie, baseball cards, Battleship, Big Wheel, bubbles, Cabbage Patch Kids, Candy Land, cardboard box, checkers, chess, Clue, coloring book, Easy-Bake Oven, Etch A Sketch, Fisher-Price Corn Popper, Fisher-Price Little People, Frisbee, G.I. Joe, Hula Hoop, jack-in-the-box, jacks, Jenga, jigsaw puzzle, jump rope, kite, LEGO, Lincoln Logs, Lionel Trains, Lite-Brite, little green army men, paper airplane, rocking horse, roller skates, rubber duck, Rubik’s Cube, sand, Scrabble, sidewalk chalk, Silly Putty, Slinky, Star Wars action figures, stick, Trivial Pursuit, Twister, Uno, View-Master, and Wiffle Ball.
NYS Foliage Watch 2026
New York State’s 2026 fall foliage season is underway, with the first signs of the spectacular seasonal colors appearing in regions throughout Upstate New York, and the most significant changes expected in the Adirondacks. This is according to the field reports from volunteer observers for the Empire State Development Division of Tourism’s I LOVE NY program.
Locations with the most significant foliage change this weekend will include Tupper Lake, Long Lake, Wilmington, Benson, Lake Pleasant and Old Forge (Adirondacks); Delhi (Catskills); and Utica (Central New York).
Coming Up
New York State
Wednesday, September 23rd
New York State Commission on Ethics in Lobbying & Government Annual Public Hearing, New York City Bar Association located at 42 W 44th Street, New York, 10 a.m.
New York City
Tuesday, September 22nd
Committee on Immigration, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 3, 10 a.m.
Committee on Civil Service and Labor, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 2, 10 a.m.
Committee on Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 10 a.m.
Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, Committee Room – City Hall, 11:30 a.m.
Committee on Public Housing, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 3, 1 p.m.
Committee on Education, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 1 p.m.
Committee on General Welfare, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 2, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, September 23rd
Committee on Contracts, 250 Broadway – Hearing Room 2, 10 a.m.
Committee on Criminal Justice, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 10 a.m.
Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 3, 10 a.m.
Committee on Mental Health and Substance Use, Council Chambers – City Hall, 1 p.m.
Committee on Women and Gender Equity, Council Chambers – City Hall, 1 p.m.
Committee on Hospitals, Council Chambers – City Hall, 1 p.m.
Committee on Land Use, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 3, 1 p.m.
Thursday, September 24th
City Council Stated Meeting, Council Chambers – City Hall, 1:30 p.m.