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One of the leading Daily Fantasy Sports sites, FanDuel, has come out swinging against legislatures who say what it and other DFS sites are doing is simply another form of illegal online gambling.
“Lawmakers in Washington D.C., Nevada, and elsewhere have questioned our right to exist. Knowingly or not, they have misrepresented who we are and what we do. Now, we need you to stand with us to show that millions of fans believe fantasy sports should remain legal and accessible to all who love the game.”
Attorney Generals in three states – Massachusetts, New York and Florida – have all launched probes into FanDuel and its rival DraftKings following allegations of possible “insider trading” after a DraftKings employee released player percentage data not publicly accessible prior to the start of games. He went on to win $350,000 in a FanDuel contest.
The powerful Miami-based law firm Greenberg Traurig, once a leading firm representing the online gambling sector, has been hired by FanDuel They claim that an independent investigation has shown that the employee in question had no way of gaining access to the player percentage data at the time he made his plays.
On Thursday, the Nevada Gaming Control Board announced it would no longer permit sites like DraftKings and FanDuel to operate in that state without the proper licensing. On Georgia, the state lottery also expressed concerns as to whether Daily Fantasy Sports sites might be breaking state gambling laws.
The FanDuel petition further reads:
Every year 50 million Americans play online fantasy sports. I am one of them.
There are many problems facing our nation, but passionate sports fans that want to connect with our favorite players and teams is hardly one of them.
Fantasy sports is fundamentally a test of knowledge. I play because I love the competition and the camaraderie. In fact, I think fantasy sports is what makes watching sports an American pastime.
I oppose any measure that would ban online fantasy sports. And to anyone looking to end this game I say: Let us play!
Another major player in the world of Daily Fantasy Sports, PokerStars-backed StarsDraft, announced Monday it would be pulling out of most states until the regulatory picture becomes more clear.
- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com
