As a state lawmaker, Zohran Mamdani generally opposed plans to open full-scale casinos in New York City. In June, when he walked past a billboard showing betting markets for the city mayor’s race, he even quipped that “gambling is haram,” an Arabic word meaning forbidden.

But on Wednesday, Mr. Mamdani said that he did not intend to use his newfound political clout as the Democratic mayoral nominee and the race’s front-runner to try to stop the arrival of casinos that are widely considered a fait accompli.

Speaking alongside the leader of a union pushing the gambling expansion, Mr. Mamdani told reporters that while he still had doubts about the casinos backed by corporate giants, he respected the views of state voters who had approved the downstate gambling expansion more than a decade ago.

According to research from Better Business Bureau (BBB), the illegal online gambling market is nearly four times bigger than the legal online gambling industry; $402 billion to $103 billion (estimates from Researchandmarkets.com and the American Gaming Association, respectively).

The BBB says it has received almost 200 scam reports and more than 10,000 business complaints related to online gambling and gaming since 2022. Some scam reports involved theft, while complaints showed a pattern of unclear terms and consumer misunderstandings. In some cases, consumers lost tens of thousands of dollars.

Here are some common questions with answers from the BBB regarding online gambling:

What red flags should I look out for if using gambling or gaming services?

Advertisement

Big promises around payouts and tempting ads without details are common. Many people aren’t aware the people they are dealing with are in countries overseas. People should also be leery of sweepstakes-style games, payment through cryptocurrency and typos in names.

How can I avoid issues with gambling or gaming companies?

Read your state and provincial laws. There are many different laws for online gambling, depending on where you live.

Check for proper licensure. Even if your state allows gambling, it may have a limited list of allowed websites. Check with your state’s gaming agency to see who is licensed.

Read the fine print. The reality of how winning and withdrawal works may be different than your first impression on a website. Check out the details of a specific service and fully understand how they work before sending them any money.

Advertisement

Even legitimate websites may freeze winnings. There are many reasons why a casino or sportsbook might freeze winnings, even if the money is rightfully yours. Know what actions to take if your account is frozen.

Visit BBB.org to check out a business or register a complaint and BBB.org/ScamTracker to report a scam.

Global Lottery Technology Supplier Wins Sustainable Supply Chain Gold Award for National Logistics Centre in UK Serving The National Lottery

Scientific Games has been honored with three prestigious accolades in the 2025 International Business Awards, recognizing the company’s leadership in supply chain sustainability and cutting-edge lottery technology solutions.

The global lottery company earned the Gold Award for Sustainable Supply Chain for its National Logistics Centre in Warrington, UK serving The National Lottery’s vast network of 40,000+ retailers as a partner to Allwyn UK. Opened in February 2024 to support Allwyn on its journey of building a net zero National Lottery, the 92,000-square-foot facility integrates advanced, technology-driven sustainability practices, including AI-powered demand forecasting and inventory management technology, dynamic routing to minimize emissions, fully electric internal transport and zero-waste operations.

Scientific Games also received two Bronze Award recognitions in the 2025 International Business Awards:

Advertisement

• Achievement in Product Innovation for SCiQ, Scientific Games’ cutting-edge ecosystem that is transforming the way instant games are sold and managed. SCiQ delivers advanced inventory control, strengthened security and real-time sales data, providing retailers, lotteries and players with a smarter, more secure instant game experience.
• Emerging Technology Solution for PlayCentral Powered by SCiQ, which integrates the company’s groundbreaking SCiQ retail ecosystem into PlayCentral HD self-service vending machines, delivering unmatched inventory control, enhanced game security and operational efficiency.

“These honors reflect the dedication of our global teams to delivering both environmental leadership and unmatched retail innovation for our lottery partners,” said Pat McHugh, CEO of Scientific Games. “From transforming the sustainability of our supply chain in partnership with Allwyn in the UK to advancing the future of instant game retailing worldwide, we’re committed to creating positive impact for our customers, players and the communities they serve.”

More than 3,600 nominations from organizations in over 60 nations were evaluated by more than 300 professionals worldwide in this year’s IBAs.

Earlier this year, Scientific Games received two Gold Annual American Business Awards for SCiQ and PlayCentral Powered by SCiQ, in the Operations Management Solutions and Emerging Technology categories, respectively.

With operations on five continents, Scientific Games provides retail and digital games, technology, analytics and services to 150 lotteries in 50 countries worldwide.

PlayCentral HD® and SCiQ® are registered trademarks of Scientific Games. ©2025 Scientific Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Advertisement