HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle

Is Playing Daily Fantasy Sports Any Different From Playing Powerball?

Views: 959
The debate around daily fantasy sports isn’t about skill or chance, but evidence that America’s psuedo-ban on sports gambling is hypocritical and ineffective.

Subscribe: goo.gl/NqjoWI

"When you just think back to the enormous Powerball fervor that gripped the entire country—that’s okay," says daily fantasy player Brian Greenwood. "But for me to develop a lineup and enjoy the aspect of becoming a general manager for a team for a day and essentially risking something by putting in an entry fee—that's not okay. That doesn’t really hold water for me."

Greenwood is a professor, husband, and father. He also represents the typical fantasy sports player. Last year, over 56 million Americans participated in fantasy sports play. And since the first sites went online in 2007, daily fantasy has grown to a multi-billion dollar business with DraftKings and FanDuel leading the industry.

Unlike traditional fantasy leagues that span over the course of an entire season, daily fantasy contest typically last a single day. While sports betting is mostly illegal in the United States, fantasy sports has a special exemption under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. But even with the federal carveout, the shortened span of daily fantasy contests combined with each state’s ability to define gambling in their jurisdiction has left daily fantasy in a legally murky area.

Marc Edelman, a professor at Baruch College—part of The City University of New York (CUNY) system—and contributor to Forbes magazine, is a law and sports business expert who has covered daily fantasy since its emergence in the early 2000s. "If one wants to be honest, daily fantasy sports represent a gray area under the law."

Despite questions of its legality, fantasy sports sites set up shop and operated mostly under the radar until late 2015, when a DraftKings employee was reported to have used insider information to win a $350,000 cash prize on rival company FanDuel’s platform.

News of potential wrongdoing drew the attention of New York’s attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, who promptly launched an investigation to determine if DraftKings and FanDuel constituted illegal gambling.

And though Schneiderman sees daily fantasy as a "massive, illegal gambling operation" and describes it as a lottery, in New York the lottery is legal—as are other forms of state-sponsored gambling including horse racing and Indian casinos. And these state-run gambling institutions are often prone to the same corruption that occurs in private sector operations. So why are those forms of gaming okay, but not daily fantasy sports?

"I think to an extent recent state actions are about protecting innocent victims and ensuring player protection, but another big piece of that has to be protecting their monopoly to regulate and offer gambling services within their state," explains David G. Schwartz, director of the gaming research center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He says that America has a complicated history with gambling that have led to cycles of legalization and recriminalization.

The fantasy sports industry is quickly mobilizing in response to Schneiderman’s crusade to shut them down. Steven Miller, who played part in the effort to legalize online poker, has organized the Daily Fantasy Sports Players Alliance to represent players across the country.

"No one wants to play a game where the rules of the game change state by state," states Miller. "Prohibition doesn’t work. It didn’t work in poker. It didn’t work with alcohol. It doesn’t work with a host of other ranges of industry. Prohibition with daily fantasy sports is not the answer."

Approximately 8 minutes.

Produced by Alexis Garcia. Camera by Jim Epstein, Paul Detrick, & Alex Manning. Music by Kevin MacLeod & Audionautix.

Click https://reason.com/reasontv/2016/02/05/new-york-daily-fantasy-sports-crackdown for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason TV's YouTube Channel to get automatic updates when new stories go live.
@ReasonVidsfollow
Thumbnail for Hillary and Bernie Supporters in Their Own Words Before the NH Debate2:48
Hillary and Bernie Supporters in Their Own Words Before the NH Debate
ReasonVids
853 views
Thumbnail for 30 Ways to Say GOP1:01
30 Ways to Say GOP
ReasonVids
930 views
Thumbnail for Keeping New Hampshire Awesome: Q&A with the Free State Project President Carla Gericke6:07
Keeping New Hampshire Awesome: Q&A with the Free State Project President Carla Gericke
ReasonVids
923 views
Thumbnail for Shelby Steele on the Implications of Michael Brown's Tragic Death6:34
Shelby Steele on the Implications of Michael Brown's Tragic Death
ReasonVids
896 views
Thumbnail for Wife of Charles III visits school in Londonistan1:01
Wife of Charles III visits school in Londonistan
bestofupgoat
67 views
Thumbnail for Court-Packing Plans Threaten Civil Liberties and the Separation of Powers8:44
Court-Packing Plans Threaten Civil Liberties and the Separation of Powers
ReasonVids
933 views
Thumbnail for Morticians Association of America Endorses President Obama's Tough New Fuel Efficiency Standards1:14
Morticians Association of America Endorses President Obama's Tough New Fuel Efficiency Standards
ReasonVids
944 views
Thumbnail for Kickstart Government Twitter Accounts: Uncle Sam Needs Your Help!2:01
Kickstart Government Twitter Accounts: Uncle Sam Needs Your Help!
ReasonVids
780 views
Thumbnail for How Anarchism Can Solve Social Problems: Gary Chartier at Freedom Fest 20134:21
How Anarchism Can Solve Social Problems: Gary Chartier at Freedom Fest 2013
ReasonVids
988 views
Thumbnail for Occupy Thanksgiving: A Message of Hope, Redemption, and Dada0:27
Occupy Thanksgiving: A Message of Hope, Redemption, and Dada
ReasonVids
958 views
Thumbnail for Mike Flynn: A McCain Upset?1:44
Mike Flynn: A McCain Upset?
ReasonVids
845 views
Thumbnail for Raising the Smoking Age to 21? Young New Yorkers React2:08
Raising the Smoking Age to 21? Young New Yorkers React
ReasonVids
862 views
Thumbnail for Remy: Romney, Obama, and Binders Full of Chicks (The Election 2012 Rap)1:26
Remy: Romney, Obama, and Binders Full of Chicks (The Election 2012 Rap)
ReasonVids
937 views
Thumbnail for Licensing Costs Our Economy $180 Billion/Year, Here Are Ways to Avoid That — License to Work Ep37:57
Licensing Costs Our Economy $180 Billion/Year, Here Are Ways to Avoid That — License to Work Ep3
IJvids
800 views
Thumbnail for Fake News and the First Amendment: Free Speech Rules (Episode 3)4:45
Fake News and the First Amendment: Free Speech Rules (Episode 3)
ReasonVids
983 views
Thumbnail for How the Government Bungled the Coronavirus Response1:03:52
How the Government Bungled the Coronavirus Response
ReasonVids
794 views
Thumbnail for Remy: Wedu Nagivafaka1:41
Remy: Wedu Nagivafaka
ReasonVids
755 views
Thumbnail for Teachers Unions and School Choice: Q&A with Green Dot Schools Founder Steve Barr1:21
Teachers Unions and School Choice: Q&A with Green Dot Schools Founder Steve Barr
ReasonVids
748 views
Thumbnail for Vanessa Grigoriadis on the 'Blurred Lines' of Consensual Sex and Assault on Campus50:43
Vanessa Grigoriadis on the 'Blurred Lines' of Consensual Sex and Assault on Campus
ReasonVids
893 views
Thumbnail for Moaning Myrtles - Prefects are Hot with lyrics - Nina Janckowicz2:32
Moaning Myrtles - Prefects are Hot with lyrics - Nina Janckowicz
bestofvoatxyz
717 views
Thumbnail for Protest in Bell: City Residents Say "Enough!"3:02
Protest in Bell: City Residents Say "Enough!"
ReasonVids
778 views
Thumbnail for E-Cigarettes and the Law: NJOY's Craig Weiss on Proposed Regulations6:59
E-Cigarettes and the Law: NJOY's Craig Weiss on Proposed Regulations
ReasonVids
866 views
Thumbnail for Pierre Poilievre Wins In a Landslide - Media Immediately Downplaying his Victory | Clyde Do Something13:49
Pierre Poilievre Wins In a Landslide - Media Immediately Downplaying his Victory | Clyde Do Something
bestofsaidit
854 views
Thumbnail for ay caramba0:31
ay caramba
bestofupgoat
408 views
Thumbnail for Most vets are no better than (((doctors))) and earn their money from animal suffering0:42
Most vets are no better than (((doctors))) and earn their money from animal suffering
AOUisgay
433 views

points

Permalink
Reply
fantasy sports, daily fantasy sports, draftkings, fanduel, draft kings, fan duel, new york, eric schneiderman, gambling, gaming, sports, reason.com, reason, reasontv, mark cuban
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle