As states in the US choose to reject or embrace the daily fantasy sports (DFS) industry, the landscape is becoming more and more a jumbled legal patchwork. Recently several states have decided about DFS status.
Last week Alabama declared DFS to be ilegal gambling. FanDuel and DraftKing were given until May 1 to conclude their businesses in the state.
Also Tennessee decided earlier last week that DFS as well as all forms of fantasy sports are illegal in the state. However there is still a bill to pass in Tennessee regarding a licensing framework of some types of DFs, the Senate voted in favor of this bill, but a House committee stalled it.
Missouri
In Missouri a bill has passed that would regulates DFS but not tax it. Daily fantasy sports is seen as a game of skills and not as gambling. If the law is approved a set of consumer protections will be established and operators will have to pay an annual fee of $5,000.
Even though the House passed the bill, not everyone is in favor of it:
“I am not in favor of calling fantasy sports anything other than sports betting. It is being intellectually dishonest to call it anything other than that” said Representative Rory Rowland.
New York
According to New York Assemblyman Gary Pretlow, DFS regulation has high chances of happening this year.
“With regards to daily fantasy sports, the passage of the legislation that I am going to propose, if I was going to handicap it, it would be like betting on Secretariat in the Belmont Stakes, it’s better than even money” Pretlow said, and added: “probably have a bill by the end of April”.
Meanwhile, the poker bill is getting nowhere. In an early draft of New York’s budget plan, there was a glimmer of online poker, but it was crossed off the list.
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