DFS Saga Continues in Florida and New York

The daily fantasy sports saga continues in The United States as FanDuel and DraftKings go hard to convince Florida lawmakers to legalize DFS betting by increasing their lobbying and political donations program. Florida's attorney general said that paying an entry fee to bet on fantasy sports leagues to win cash was illegal in 1991 but now Senate President Andy Gardiner and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli seek clarity from legislature lawyers. Tallahassee attorney Marc Dunbar says that the law is quite clear in that these type of wagers are illegal. "Chess, checkers, cards, fantasy sports, horse racing - it doesn't matter,” Dunbar said in a comment to News Service of Florida. “We can't wager on a contest of skill. Most states don't have a statute like that.” The Florida Legislature will return from its break with the start of a 60-day session next week but observers say that it's a bit late in the game to see the topic become a focus of discussion. Proposed bills will likely run out of time before the committee process is complete. Heading up north, the New York Attorney General filed lawsuits against FanDuel and DraftKings, which could have a negative outcome for the operators. AG Eric Schneiderman amended the initial charges with a request that the court order both companies to refund deposits from New York punters in addition to penalty fees including a punitive penalty fee of $5,000 per transgression determined by a NY court. DFS legal representative David Boies, commented on these amendments in a statement saying: “The attorney general's revised complaint reveals that the attorney general's office still does not understand fantasy sports...it is based on the fundamental misunderstanding of fantasy sports competitions.”