\nHoward Stutz, Las Vegas Review-Journal <\/p>\n
\tThe number of states exploring the legalities surrounding the booming daily fantasy sports business is growing as fast as the business.<\/p>\n
\tMassachusetts and California have joined Nevada in taking a potential stand on the business that has inundated the television airwaves with advertisements and sparked possible hearings in Congress. Bloomberg News reported that the two largest fantasy sports companies, DraftKings and FanDuel, generated $60 million in entry fees during the opening weekend of the National Football League.<\/p>\n
\tEarlier this summer, Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman A.G. Burnett asked the attorney general\u2019s office \u2014 the regulatory panel\u2019s legal arm \u2014 to analyze the legalities surrounding the issue and provide the three-member board some guidance.<\/p>\n
\tThe Control Board hasn\u2019t taken a formal position on daily fantasy sports, but has cautioned casino and sports book operators to keep their distance.<\/p>\n
\tBurnett never issued a directive to avoid fantasy sports, but said in July that \u201cgaming licensees need to do an analysis on the legal ramifications. They need to understand the legal issues if they step into that arena.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tSeveral gaming leaders, notably MGM Resorts International Chairman Jim Murren and Joe Asher, CEO of sports book operator William Hill US, have publicly called out daily fantasy sports as gambling websites.<\/p>\n
\tOn Monday, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey told reporters her office was reviewing the legalities of fantasy sports. She said officials from Boston-based DraftKings, one the industry\u2019s largest companies, initiated talks with her office.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWe\u2019re hearing them out on it,\u201d Healey said during an informal news conference. \u201cWe\u2019re just looking to learn more.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tAccording to CardPlayer.com, California lawmakers amended a bill in Sacramento that would allow the state to regulate fantasy sports. The website LegalSportsReport.com says California is the 12th state to consider daily fantasy sports legislation.<\/p>\n
\tLast week, Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said he wants Congress to hold hearings to explore the legal status of fantasy sports.<\/p>\n
\tSports betting and daily fantasy sports will be discussion topics during several seminars next week as part of the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. One seminar will explore that rapid rise and legal issues surrounding daily fantasy sports. DraftKings CEO Jason Robins is scheduled to be part of a panel discussing whether or not fantasy sports are a form of gambling.<\/p>\n
\tAmerican Gaming Association CEO Geoff Freeman said daily fantasy sports was an \u201cexciting new platform.\u201d But the membership of the Washington, D.C-based trade organization called \u201cthe current lack of legal clarity\u201d an obstacle that keeps commercial casino operators from jumping into the business.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThe industry agrees this is an issue that needs to be addressed,\u201d Freeman said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\tFantasy sports leaders said the federal government does not define fantasy sports as gambling. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act makes it illegal for banks or financial institutions to allow transactions for online wagering. However, there is \u201ccarve out\u201d language that exempts fantasy sports, online state lotteries and horse racing.<\/p>\n
\tDraftKings and FanDuel claim they offer games of skill and are not considered gambling websites.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWe are a U.S.-based skill games company and all of our contests are operated 100 percent legally under United States and Canadian law,\u201d DraftKings states on its website.<\/p>\n
\tDraftKings and FanDuel have marketing deals with major sports leagues and ESPN, which is owned by the anti-gaming The Walt Disney Co.<\/p>\n
\tResidents of five states \u2014 Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, and Washington \u2014 can\u2019t participate in the websites because of state-specific regulations against cash prize awards.<\/p>\n
\tSports wagering is legal in four states, although Nevada is the only state with full-scale race and sports books.<\/p>\n
\tLegalSportsReport.com editor Chris Grove told the Washington Post \u201cthere were more questions than answers\u201d concerning fantasy sports and federal law.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cIf you ask a person on the street, my sense is people would identify daily fantasy sports as a gambling product,\u201d Grove told the newspaper\u2019s \u201cThe Fix,\u201d calling his state a \u201ccultural\u201d response.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThe fundamental legal definition of what does or doesn\u2019t constitute gambling is generally set at the state level,\u201d Grove said.<\/p>\n
No replies were posted for this topic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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