New York lawmakers are pushing forward with legislation that would strip gambling advertisements from billboards across the state. They’re bundling these restrictions alongside alcohol and tobacco promotions. Two separate bills filed in May would achieve the same outcome but take fundamentally different approaches to implementation.

Two Bills, Two Timelines

State Senator Nathalia Fernandez introduced Senate Bills 10400 and 10401 on May 15. Both are currently before the Committee on Consumer Protection. Each measure would amend New York’s general business law to restrict billboard advertising for gambling, sports betting, nicotine products, vaping, and alcohol across traditional and digital formats.

The key difference? Execution. SB 10400 proposes an immediate prohibition, effectively removing all qualifying advertisements from billboards once enacted. SB 10401 takes a softer approach, allowing existing advertisements to remain until their contracts expire naturally.

What Gets Restricted

Both bills would bar advertising for gambling products including bookmaking, betting exchanges, pools, and other wagering activities. The language is broad enough to catch sports betting promotions, which have become increasingly visible in urban areas since New York expanded online sportsbook licensing.

Here’s where SB 10401 gets interesting. Under its gradual transition model, once an advertisement is removed, local government must display information about the harms associated with the product previously advertised on that billboard space.

Broader Regulatory Picture

This billboard legislation doesn’t exist in isolation. Earlier in April, lawmakers filed SB 10153, which would establish a task force to examine proposition betting, particularly lower-value “under” bets. The focus reflects growing concern about how prop bets are marketed and consumed, especially given their granular nature and the promotional intensity surrounding them.

Both pieces of legislation signal New York’s appetite for tighter controls on gambling marketing, even as the state continues to expand the licensed operator market itself. Which approach wins out matters. Whether lawmakers opt for the aggressive SB 10400 approach or the phased SB 10401 model will significantly impact how quickly the advertising landscape shifts.