Wife of Mississippi Gambler Sues DraftKings, FanDuel Over Husband’s Losses
A woman in Mississippi has filed a lawsuit against Daily Fantasy Sports giants DraftKings and FanDuel in an effort to recover her husband’s losses.
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The suits, one against DraftKings and one against FanDuel, were filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi. The case has been assigned to the Greenville Division, said Marc Boutwell, attorney for plaintiff Julie Whitfield Herod.
Herod asks to recover "losses on behalf of herself and all other similarly situated within the State of Mississippi."
Under Mississippi law, code section 87-1-5, spouses and children of gamblers can "sue for and recover such money, property, or other valuable things so lost and paid or delivered."
"They're conducting what we believe and looks to us in the statute is an illegal gaming operation via the Internet in Mississippi," Boutwell said of the two DFS companies. "I don’t think they’ll have any choice but to shut down in Mississippi."
He added, "We have very well-controlled gaming in Mississippi with casinos and such. Their operation does not fit an approved status in this state, and we’re asserting it’s illegal."
"In an attempt to circumvent Mississippi law, FanDuel Inc. defines its sports betting scheme as a game of skill," the complaint reads. "After the sporting events are concluded, FanDuel calculates a score using the scheme they created that assigns values (points) based upon the performance of athletes and teams engaged in amateur and professional athletic competitions."
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
