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The Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) recently unveiled the Fantasy Sports Freedom initiative with the goal of promoting legalization of fantasy sports in all 50 states.
Right now five states – Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana and Washington – clearly bar pay-related fantasy sports operations. Some daily fantasy sports sites have also steered clear of states where contests paying cash prizes fall into a grey area.
“The Fantasy Sports industry is an $800 million a year industry in which consumers spend over $3.64 billion a year in direct revenue. Fantasy sport companies pay local, state and federal taxes and fantasy sport companies provide jobs even in a sluggish economy,” is the public policy justification promoted by Fantasy Sports Freedom for promoting change to the 5 states’ restrictive laws.
The legal foundation for pushing legislators to put an end to fantasy sports restrictions is based on the age old debate: Is fantasy sports a game of skill or is it gambling? Fantasy Sports Freedom’s position is that fantasy sports is clearly a game of skill that requires analyzing statistics, building teams and competing against others.
Fantasy Sports Freedom also notes that many members of Capitol Hill actively participate in fantasy sports operations.
- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com
