FanDuel has addressed one of the company’s biggest disadvantages in the ongoing battle against DraftKings by returning to the Texas fantasy sports market. Texas no longer appears on FanDuel’s list of blocked states. Users on Rotogrinders have also reported being able to access FanDuel from Texas. A FanDuel representative confirmed the decision via email to Legal Sports Report. “Considering a variety of factors related to the operation of daily fantasy sports in Texas, we have re-entered the market, while the issue is being resolved by the state.”, they said said. FanDuel’s decision effectively evens the competitive map for daily fantasy…

West Virginia Lottery Commission Director Alan Larrick has announced that the entity has passed sports betting rules after an emergency meeting that took place last Thursday. The state’s five casinos would be eligible to offer sports betting. “We’re trying to do everything we can to get sports betting available by football season — that’s what our goal is. We don’t know if we’re going to make it or not, but we’re going to try,” said Larrick, who commented that the rules are essentially guidelines for local casinos in order to let them know how to operate. West Virginia had already…

PaddyPower Betfair has entered a definitive agreement to acquire leading US DFS business FanDuel, it confirmed to the London market last week. FanDuel, one of the big two operators in the US DFS market alongside DraftKings, will be merged with PPB’s Betfair US business to target the prospective US sports betting market, following the repeal of the federal ban by the US Supreme Court last week. PaddyPower Betfair will contribute its existing US assets plus $158m in cash for a 61% share of the combined business, with FanDuel investors owning the other 39%. “A mechanism” has been agreed to take…

DraftKings and FanDuel have each agreed to pay more than $1m (€830,000) to resolve allegations of consumer-unfriendly practices in the US state of Massachusetts. Coinciding with the start of the new NFL American football season, both daily fantasy sports (DFS) operators are to pay $1.3m in a deal announced by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. The authorities in the state last year proposed a raft of consumer protection regulations, including restrictions on advertising that reflected the average DFS player’s slim chances of winning anything. More at iGaming Business

Daily fantasy sports (DFS) operator FanDuel has closed its operations in the UK market. FanDuel informed players of its decision via email and also confirmed its exit via a posting on its official Twitter account. In a message on its website, FanDuel said that it hoped to return to the UK “in the future”, but did not officially disclose the reasons behind the move. Players who have funds left in their account will have their balance credited to their most recent bank card and will also receive an email confirming payment. More at iGaming Business

DraftKings and FanDuel have scrapped their merger plans after initial proposals were rejected by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC). An initial scheduling conference with the FTC national consumer protection agency was set to occur before an administrative judge today (Friday), but the two daily fantasy sports (DFS) operators announced on Thursday that they will now seek to pursue their own development. A deal between the two companies had been mooted for some time and an agreement was announced in November 2016. However, the FTC, estimating the pair held 90% of the US market, raised concerns over the impact the…