Gaming Commission, New York State
skip breadcrumbsAgency Web Site: https://www.gaming.ny.gov/
Mission
The New York State Gaming Commission's mission is to ensure that all lawful gaming and horse racing activity conducted in this State is of the highest integrity, credibility and quality. Operating in the most efficient and transparent manner, the Commission conducts the New York Lottery and serves the best interests of the public by providing responsive and effective State gaming regulation. The Commission strives to ensure that all stakeholders in the gaming and horse racing industries, including the consumers who wager on activities regulated or operated by the Commission, are treated in an equitable and responsible manner. The Commission is also tasked with promoting the health and safety of horses and all participants in racing. By consolidating various regulatory functions into one oversight body with broad powers, the Commission is able to ensure fair and strict regulation of all gaming activity, while reducing costs and regulatory burdens to the gaming industry. The Commission provides 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.
Organization and Staffing
The New York State Gaming Commission regulates all aspects of gaming and gambling activity in the State, including horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering, Class III Indian Gaming, commercial casino gaming, the state lottery (including video lottery terminals), charitable gaming, mobile sports wagering, and interactive fantasy sports. The New York State Gaming Commission was formally created via Chapter 60 of the Laws of 2012 as part of the 2012-13 Enacted State Budget. This measure merged the New York State Racing and Wagering Board with the New York State Division of Lottery, creating a single state agency. The law also consolidated the administration of the New York Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund and the Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund into the Office of Racing Promotion and Development under the umbrella of the Gaming Commission. The New York State Gaming Commission became effective February 1, 2013.
Major Programs
Lottery
The New York Lottery's sole mission is to earn revenue for education. Lottery revenue is distributed to local school districts by the same statutory formula used to distribute other State aid to education. Lottery games include drawings like Numbers, Mega Millions and Powerball and roughly 50 scratch-off tickets.
Charitable Gaming
Charitable gaming occurs in the form of bingo, bell jar sales, the conduct of Las Vegas nights, and operation of raffles. The Division of Charitable Gaming is responsible for the investigation, audit, and monitoring of bell jar ticket sales, as well as verification of the lawful disbursement of bingo, bell jar, Las Vegas night, and raffle proceeds by licensees in New York State. This Division also issues licenses and assists members of authorized organizations, manufacturers, and equipment distributors to comply with State law and Commission rules and regulations.
Gaming
The Division of Gaming oversees the regulation of seven Class III Indian gaming facilities, four commercial gaming facilities, video lottery terminal facilities, and mobile sports wagering operators throughout the State. Gaming inspectors conduct compliance examinations to ensure that gaming operations such as dealing procedures, internal accounting and other controls strictly conform to the applicable provisions of the respective gaming facility.
Horse Racing and Pari-Mutuel Wagering
The Division of Horse Racing and Pari-Mutuel Wagering regulates all horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering in New York State. New York currently features both Thoroughbred and Standardbred horse racing where pari-mutuel wagering takes place. There are four Thoroughbred tracks and seven Standardbred (harness) tracks in the State. Additionally, bettors may wager on races remotely through any of the State’s five off-track betting corporations. The tracks and off-track betting locations also feature simulcasting of races taking place within and beyond New York’s borders.
Interactive Fantasy Sports
The Division of Interactive Fantasy Sports provides general oversight of permissible fantasy sports contests. Responsibilities also include the investigation of violations, processing and issuing registrations, and processing and auditing regulatory assessments.
Budget Highlights
The FY 2026 Executive Budget recommends $438 million All Funds appropriations for the Commission, an increase of 64.6 million from FY 2025 levels.
- The Executive Budget recommends continuing to appropriate $100,000 in State Operations for the Racing Fan Advisory Council and advances $251 million in funding for the local share of estimated Tribal State Compact Revenue receipts from Native American casinos.
- The Budget also appropriates $62 million for the local share of the State's estimated revenues from commercial gaming venues.
- $5.8 million for Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine is provided to support a study and the development of protocols to advance the field of thoroughbred injury detection.
The FY 2026 Executive Budget recommends a workforce of 396 FTEs for the Commission which remains flat from FY 2025 levels.
| Category | Available FY 2025 |
Appropriations Recommended FY 2026 |
Change From FY 2025 |
Reappropriations Recommended FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Operations | 111,362,000 | 119,216,000 | 7,854,000 | 0 |
| Aid To Localities | 262,000,000 | 318,800,000 | 56,800,000 | 0 |
| Total | 373,362,000 | 438,016,000 | 64,654,000 | 0 |
| Program | FY 2025 Estimated FTEs 03/31/25 |
FY 2026 Estimated FTEs 03/31/26 |
FTE Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administration of the Lottery | |||
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 199 | 199 | 0 |
| Administration | |||
| General Fund | 52 | 52 | 0 |
| Charitable Gaming | |||
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| Gaming | |||
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 117 | 117 | 0 |
| Horse Racing and Pari-Mutuel Wagering | |||
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 20 | 20 | 0 |
| Total | 396 | 396 | 0 |
| Fund Type | Available FY 2025 |
Recommended FY 2026 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Fund | 7,728,000 | 7,851,000 | 123,000 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 103,634,000 | 111,365,000 | 7,731,000 |
| Total | 111,362,000 | 119,216,000 | 7,854,000 |
| Program | Available FY 2025 |
Recommended FY 2026 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administration | |||
| General Fund | 7,728,000 | 7,851,000 | 123,000 |
| Administration of the Lottery | |||
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 53,824,000 | 49,500,000 | (4,324,000) |
| Charitable Gaming | |||
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 2,529,000 | 2,602,000 | 73,000 |
| Gaming | |||
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 27,339,000 | 38,444,000 | 11,105,000 |
| Horse Racing and Pari-Mutuel Wagering | |||
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 19,788,000 | 20,561,000 | 773,000 |
| Interactive Fantasy Sports | |||
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 154,000 | 258,000 | 104,000 |
| Total | 111,362,000 | 119,216,000 | 7,854,000 |
| Program | Total | Personal Service Regular (Annual Salaried) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Administration | 4,261,000 | 161,000 | 4,223,000 | 154,000 |
| Total | 4,261,000 | 161,000 | 4,223,000 | 154,000 |
| Program | Temporary Service (Nonannual Salaried) |
Holiday/Overtime Pay | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Administration | 33,000 | 7,000 | 5,000 | 0 |
| Total | 33,000 | 7,000 | 5,000 | 0 |
| Program | Total | Supplies and Materials | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Administration | 3,590,000 | (38,000) | 500,000 | 100,000 |
| Total | 3,590,000 | (38,000) | 500,000 | 100,000 |
| Program | Travel | Contractual Services | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Administration | 70,000 | 5,000 | 2,985,000 | (158,000) |
| Total | 70,000 | 5,000 | 2,985,000 | (158,000) |
| Program | Equipment | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | |
| Administration | 35,000 | 15,000 |
| Total | 35,000 | 15,000 |
| Program | Total | Personal Service | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | Amount | Change | |
| Administration of the Lottery | 49,500,000 | (4,324,000) | 19,535,000 | (260,000) |
| Charitable Gaming | 2,602,000 | 73,000 | 1,087,000 | 170,000 |
| Gaming | 38,444,000 | 11,105,000 | 18,201,000 | 5,791,000 |
| Horse Racing and Pari-Mutuel Wagering | 20,561,000 | 773,000 | 8,581,000 | 423,000 |
| Interactive Fantasy Sports | 258,000 | 104,000 | 124,000 | 62,000 |
| Total | 111,365,000 | 7,731,000 | 47,528,000 | 6,186,000 |
| Program | Nonpersonal Service | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | Change | |
| Administration of the Lottery | 29,965,000 | (4,064,000) |
| Charitable Gaming | 1,515,000 | (97,000) |
| Gaming | 20,243,000 | 5,314,000 |
| Horse Racing and Pari-Mutuel Wagering | 11,980,000 | 350,000 |
| Interactive Fantasy Sports | 134,000 | 42,000 |
| Total | 63,837,000 | 1,545,000 |
| Fund Type | Available FY 2025 |
Recommended FY 2026 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Fund | 0 | 5,800,000 | 5,800,000 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 262,000,000 | 313,000,000 | 51,000,000 |
| Total | 262,000,000 | 318,800,000 | 56,800,000 |
| Program | Available FY 2025 |
Recommended FY 2026 |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaming | |||
| General Fund | 0 | 5,800,000 | 5,800,000 |
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 62,000,000 | 62,000,000 | 0 |
| Tribal State Compact Revenue | |||
| Special Revenue Funds - Other | 200,000,000 | 251,000,000 | 51,000,000 |
| Total | 262,000,000 | 318,800,000 | 56,800,000 |
Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/21/2025