Gov. Kathy Hochul was blasted for her plan to expand gambling addiction programs while three new casinos are underway and the state rakes in a growing jackpot from legal betting.
Critics called Hochul’s plan hypocritical after it emerged as part of her 2026 policy agenda that emerged alongside her Tuesday State of the State speech.
“It’s a case of ‘we told you so,’” state Conservative Party chairman Gerard Kassar said.
“State-sponsored gambling has always been about the revenue, not the human costs.”
The Conservative Party was among the groups that opposed the constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2013 that made casino gambling in the state.
“It’s like opening an alcoholics anonymous center next to a bar,” Kassar said of the new addiction treatment programs.
“Hochul and New York politicians created the addiction. The state is fixing a problem it created.”
Hochul’s plan includes limiting betting platforms’ ability to use AI-powered services to exploit consumers’ gambling habits through personalized promotions.
She also proposed legislation that would ensure insurance covers addiction treatment.
The Democrat also wants to create a Gambling Health Institute and integrate gambling treatment in 16 “recovery” community outreach centers across the Empire State.
“As access to gambling increases, it is crucially important that New York has a comprehensive approach to safeguard New Yorkers from harms associated with problem gambling,” Hochul’s State of the State book states.
The state initially approved the opening of a network of casinos and slots parlors upstate, and are now adding three new licensed casinos in New York City.
New York also approved mobile sports betting, enormously popular with young men.
The state’s online sports betting market generated more than $26 billion in bets last year, including a record shattering $2.5 billion in revenue.
Addiction is a a government-inflicted problem, critics contend — down to state-sponsored lottery games.
“It’s really complete hypocrisy. It’s the state bookie offering palliative care,” said John Kaehny, executive director of the watchdog group Reinvent Albany.
“Gambling is the extraction of money from people’s pockets.”
The New York State Catholic Conference has serious reservations about the state’s gambling expansion, but praised Hochul for at least acknowledging that compulsive gambling is a problem.
“We never believed the state should be in the business of promoting addictive behavior,” said Catholic Conference executive director Dennis Poust.
“That being said, kudos to the governor for addressing a serious issue.”
Brian O’Dwyer, chairman of the New York State Gaming Commission, praised Hochul’s move.
“The Gaming Commission fully supports and applauds Governor Hochul’s commitment to protect New Yorkers, including safeguards to prevent underage individuals from gambling and employing innovative tech to identify and help those who may be experiencing gambling harms,” O’Dwyer said.
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