Woerner Seeks to Prohibit All Prop Bets in New York

SARATOGA SPRINGS — New York State Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, whose district includes the Saratoga Race Course, recently sponsored bill A09636, which would limit sports wagering to “wagers on the final outcome, score, or winner of a sporting event or contest,” thus banning proposition (or “prop”) bets.

Prop bets include player, game, and team props, such as the number of touchdowns scored by a football player in a game or the first team to score a touchdown in a game. Prop bets have recently come under scrutiny, in part due to federal betting investigations involving both current and former members of the NBA. Earlier this month, the NCAA sent a letter to state gambling commissions requesting the elimination of prop bets.

Woerner’s bill states that proposition bets “present heightened risks to the integrity of sports, increase the potential for insider information misuse, increase the harassment and abuse of athletes and coaches, and exacerbate risks of problem gambling due to their rapid and repetitive nature.” Banning prop bets will “promote consumer protection, safeguard the integrity of sporting events, and align sports wagering with responsible gambling principles,” the bill argues.

Any betting operator that knowingly or negligently offers or accepts a prop bet in violation of the proposed law would be subject to civil penalties imposed by the gaming commission, including fines of up to $100,000 per violation, as well as suspension or revocation of licensure.

On Jan. 21, Woerner’s bill was referred to the racing and wagering committee. About a year ago, Woerner was appointed the chair of the committee.

Woerner isn’t the first Saratoga politician to take aim at sports betting. Congressman Paul Tonko, who represents Saratoga County, renewed his push for the SAFE Bet Act in October following a gambling scandal that rocked the NBA and allegedly involved members of the Mafia. Tonko introduced the SAFE Bet Act in 2024. Among other things, the legislation would prohibit all proposition bets featuring college and amateur athletes.

“The constant, unfettered access to sports gambling destroys public trust in the game, while having dire consequences for countless persons across our nation struggling with problem gambling,” Tonko said in a statement issued on Oct. 23, 2025.

A 2024 poll conducted by Quinnipiac University found that 67% of Americans think prop betting should not be permitted.