Opinion: Policy that performs is a win for New Yorkers

As this year closes and we gear up for the next legislative session, we believe it’s worth reflecting on how legislation shapes everyday life. Recently, Resy released new data on the impact of the Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act – the law we passed prohibiting unauthorized third-party reservations. As one of the first policies of its kind in the nation, its early results are clear: this law is working, and it has already improved conditions for restaurant owners and the diners they serve.

The premise behind the bill is simple: no third party should be able to reserve a table without authorization from the restaurant. Yet the problem was quietly crippling New York’s hospitality industry. Third-party reservation platforms, often using AI-driven bots, were booking tables and reselling them. When those reservations went unclaimed, restaurants were left with empty seats, small businesses lost revenue and diners searching for a place to eat were turned away from restaurants that only appeared to be fully booked. Everyone lost under these predatory practices.

Resy’s report shows a 90% reduction in no-shows caused by bots and brokers since Q2 of 2024. Its largest quarterly decline – a 68% drop from Q1 to Q2 of 2025 – coincided directly with the law going into effect. This is what meaningful regulation looks like: targeted, practical and immediately felt on the ground.

Now, families don’t have to second-guess where to dine or navigate misleading reservation availability. The market has cleared because we stepped in to curb unauthorized and predatory reservation practices that distorted supply and undermined small businesses.

As we head into the 2026 legislative session, we remain committed to taking on issues that make life meaningfully easier for the people we serve. Good policy works. And good politics can change the world for the better.