How mobile sports gambling is transforming Long Island's bar scene

The Spread Bar and Grill opened its accordion doors one Sunday morning this fall with a $5 beer special for fans watching the Pittsburgh Steelers face the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin — about five hours ahead — at a time when most Long Islanders were still sipping their morning coffee.

But patrons weren’t just there to watch the NFL’s first-ever game in Ireland (the Steelers won, 24-21) — they were there to bet on it, through their phones.

Brian, a bettor from Lindenhurst wearing a purple Vikings jersey, placed bets on his phone beneath a TV showing horse racing from Hamilton Park in England. He said he’d been gambling since he was 15.

“It’s easier now, because everything’s in the palm of your hand,” he said.

Legalized in New York in 2022 and now available in 38 states, mobile sports betting has reshaped how fans watch, cheer and spend. The Spread is one of several new Long Island bars built for the mobile-betting era.

Customers wager through apps while surrounded by live games, wall-to-wall screens and real-time tickers. These bars don’t accept bets themselves, but they’ve created a social hub around an activity once confined to private screens.

The Spread’s 130-inch screen anchors a wall of TVs showing simultaneous games. Phone-charging ports line the bar. Staff wear T-shirts that read, “Life’s a gamble, bet on the spread.”

Owners Shawn Fenton, Justin Burger and Connor Quinn — friends from the area — opened the business in October 2024. Fenton said he wanted to create a stigma-free environment for bettors.

“Obviously sports gambling exploded since it got legal, so I felt there was an untapped market,” he said. “There’s no judgment if someone is screaming about the over and the under.”

Still, Quinn emphasized the bar’s focus: food and beer, not betting.

“We are not a casino,” Burger said.

Brendan Dwyer, a sports researcher at Virginia Commonwealth University, called the business model — bars designed for bettors but not taking bets — “very unique” and “creative.” The concept works by monetizing the social side of gambling — drawing crowds who drink, eat and watch, even if they never place a bet inside.

“You’re not getting the gambling revenue that a sportsbook would, but you’re drawing a crowd — and they’re buying food and drinks,” he said.

Another example is Moneyline LBNY, which opened in Long Beach in May. It broadcasts games on a 25-foot screen and 27 smaller ones, with a ticker showing real-time scores.

“We’ve created a whole new environment for this kind of thing,” said co-owner Josh Krapf, who previously lived in Las Vegas and hosted a sports-betting podcast.

Krapf modeled Moneyline after Vegas sportsbooks, where gamblers sip drinks amid walls of screens — though even there, he noticed phones replacing bookies.

Since bars and restaurants aren’t licensed sportsbooks, they don’t share in gambling revenue. That money goes to nine licensed platforms — including FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, and ESPN Bet — in a booming sector.

New York leads the nation in mobile betting revenue, collecting $1.07 billion in 2024, according to the Tax Foundation. In September, New York’s mobile betting handle reached $2.28 billion. The state taxes sports wagering revenue, with 51% going to education and 49% to the platforms.

Moneyline patron John Newberger, who grew up with Krapf in Oceanside, said he placed a small bet on the Rams while sipping a cocktail and watching the Jets. He expressed concern about the deluge of gambling ads.

“I don’t like the ubiquity of all the sports advertising,” he said. “I feel like it’s going to be a problem — it’s all over the place.”

The business — and risks — of mobile betting

Bars catering to mobile bettors have emerged in other legal states. In Kentucky, Parlay Louisville nods to gambling in its Instagram. In Illinois, Over/Under Sports Bar in Chicago offers memberships linking to DraftKings, Caesars, and BetMGM.

“We do not take bets,” said Ed Berry, owner of Over/Under, in an email. “O/U is just like the NY sports book-like bars.”

Over/Under goes further: it employs “betting ambassadors” who guide customers through sign-up bonuses and wager options. Berry also launched a social marketing campaign called Over/Under+ and is incorporating AI tools to help customers improve their betting decisions.

But with ubiquity comes concern. Bettors, bar owners, and fans noted the saturation of promotions. Two companies — PointsBetNY and American Wagering Inc. — were fined for sending offers to self-excluded New Yorkers.

In October 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a law requiring gambling ads to include addiction warnings.

Critics say mobile betting’s ease of access worsens addiction. A 2024 study by the National Consumers League found 93% of smartphone notifications from sports betting companies were ads — 62% encouraged gambling.

“Mobile betting carries a high risk of addiction compared to brick-and-mortar locations, particularly because it’s always in your pocket,” said Adam Birkenstock, of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.

“Downloading an app is much faster and more accessible than heading out to a bar or OTB. Worse than that, many apps offer free bets to get you hooked,” he said.

Birkenstock likened gambling addiction to substance abuse.

“Like substance abuse, gambling is a progressive, chronic, brain and life-altering addiction,” he said. “It worsens our impulse control, damages relationships and mental health, and gambling especially can lead to serious debt.”

Stephen Shapiro, a professor of sports and entertainment management at the University of South Carolina, said the key issue is access, not setting.

“There’s no question in my mind that there’s going to be an increase in problem gambling,” he said. “I don’t look at the sports bar as being the primary issue.”

“The biggest impetus we’re seeing is reducing friction and easing access,” added Justin Balthrop, an assistant professor of finance at the University of Kansas. “I think they’re OK taking losses on the front end because it’s an addictive activity — and retention becomes easier.”

“At a touch of the finger, I can wake up at 5:30 in the morning and say, ‘What’s going on in the world that I can bet on?’” said Jim, a sports bettor at The Spread who lives in Massapequa.

But he noted that mobile betting at least avoids bookies and doesn’t allow people to place bets with credit.

“If you don’t have the money, you can’t do it,” he said. “It’s debit card only — the money comes right out of the bank.”

The local market grows

Some older bars on Long Island are adjusting quietly to the trend.

“We don’t push gambling; we don’t have anything that helps gambling here,” said Mike Constantatos, co-owner of The Main Event in Plainview and Farmingdale.

“You do see people on the phones a lot more, and cheering for odd games at odd times,” he said.

Changing Times Sports Bar in Bay Shore has seen steady growth since legalization. Manager Eric Lukash said sales are up 10% annually.

“It’s run rampant,” he said. “You’ve got people locked in on their phones or their iPads, especially on NFL Sunday.”

He’s considering adding a digital ticker. “We thought it would look pretty cool,” he said.

Asked about the social costs of mobile betting, Krapf pointed to a nearby store that sells lottery tickets.

“There is always going to be this element of things that are a sin or whatever,” he said. “The state has obviously put a lot of thought into this. You don’t want anybody doing anything in excess. We think of it as more of a social thing.”

Fenton, of The Spread, agreed that adults should be free to gamble — responsibly.

“What people want to do is their own business,” he said.

He plans to expand The Spread to locations along Long Island Rail Road stations, so customers can bet and drink without driving.

“We plan to spread out all over the Island,” he said.