New York's legal mobile sports betting market continues to break records. Monthly handle — the total amount wagered — topped $2 billion repeatedly through the 2025–26 basketball and football seasons, keeping New York firmly ahead of every other state.
The 51% factor
New York taxes sportsbook operators at 51% of gross gaming revenue, by far the highest rate in the nation. That has funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into education and youth sports, but it also pressures operator margins and can make New York promotions less generous than those in lower-tax states.
Senator Joseph Addabbo has floated the idea of lowering the rate if additional operators are added to the market, but the 51% figure remains in place for now.
The contrast with online casino
The sports betting boom sharpens the irony at the heart of New York gambling policy: the state has embraced online sports wagering wholeheartedly while repeatedly declining to legalize online casino, which industry analysts estimate could be even more lucrative. New Yorkers wanting the full picture can read our sports betting law guide.