Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued a formal opinion declaring that California fantasy sports are illegal under current state law. The opinion, released in early July, states that these contests constitute gambling and are not permitted under California’s long-standing prohibition on sports wagering. According to Bonta’s legal interpretation, fantasy sports contests offered by major platforms like DraftKings, FanDuel, PrizePicks, and Underdog Fantasy violate California’s Penal Code section 337a, which prohibits betting on games of chance. Bonta concluded that daily fantasy sports involve players staking money on uncertain future events, meeting the legal definition of illegal gambling in the state. This…

It was 2017 when DraftKings & FanDuel attempted to merge into one, big, happy family. However, it did not take long for that move to be called off, as the Federal Trade Commission (along with a couple of attorneys general) said they would sue to block any merger. The combined companies would have controlled 90%  of the market for daily fantasy sports, which authorities say would have violated antitrust law. Now, two U.S. senators have called for the FTC and the Justice Department to take another look, and to open an  investigation into DraftKings & FanDuel over a similar accusation….

A Court of Appeals has ruled that New York fantasy sports are perfectly legal. This coming as the court found sufficient evidence that playing fantasy sports is skill-based and therefore not subject to state gambling laws. The case had been winding its way through the system since 2016 an anti-gambling group asserted that New York fantasy sports were unconstitutional and violated gaming laws. Two lower court decisions agreed with that belief. However, the appeals court arrived at a different conclusion all together. They found that fantasy sports are not based on chance, nor are they betting on sports events. Instead,…

As part of their overall plan to grow their American presence, a DraftKings Las Vegas office has opened. The fantasy and sports betting operator Las Vegas facility will host about 300 employees, including customer support, fraud, casino, sports book traders, human resource and IT personnel. The move comes after DraftKings last month agreed a deal to be acquired by a special purpose acquisition company alongside betting and gaming technology provider SBTech. As part of this transaction, the business agreed be reincorporated in Nevada. Since October 2018, DraftKings said it has seen a 40% increase in its overall employee headcount, while…

A judge in New York has ruled that fantasy sports are gambling, placing the industry in doubt for one of the biggest markets in the country. The Albany judge said that daily fantasy sports (DFS) should be illegal in the state. Acting Supreme Court Justice Gerald Connolly made the ruling on Friday in response to a lawsuit submitted by anti-gambling organizations, according to the Journal News. Connolly ruled that a law dating back to 2016 that allows DFS to operate is in violation of the gambling ban in the state constitution. The lawsuit was launched after the state’s lawmakers legalized…

A bill that seeks the legalization of North Carolina fantasy sports has been taken down from a second committee last week as the panel was forced to change the language of the bill. As this is the second defeat for the bill, it won’t likely pass in this legislative session. The bill, which doesn’t include sports betting operations, stated that fantasy sports wasn’t gambling. Sponsor of the bill Rep. Jason Saine insisted that the bill wasn’t aimed at opening the state to sports books. “Let me be clear. This bill in no way authorizes sports betting or any other form…