It was probably inevitable that legal sports betting would come to New York state. But the manner in which Gov. Cuomo is proposing to adopt it hurts consumers by limiting betting sites and further weds the state’s budget health to gambling — which disproportionately lures and effectively taxes the poor and undermines the work ethic.

Online sports betting, legalized by the Supreme Court in 2017, is here to stay. National Football League broadcasts highlight it; commercial breaks include DraftKings ads as much as Clydesdales. But legalizing the practice doesn’t mean state governments should control it.