New York State Banned Daily Fantasy Sports Sites Saying They're Gambling, Ban Is Effective Immediately
NY Times – The New York State attorney general on Tuesday ordered the two biggest daily fantasy sports companies, DraftKings and FanDuel, to stop accepting bets from New York residents, saying their games constituted illegal gambling under state law.
The cease-and-desist order by the attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, is a major blow to a multibillion-dollar industry that introduced sports betting to legions of young sports fans and has formed partnerships with many of the nation’s professional sports teams. Given the New York attorney general’s historic role as a consumer-protection advocate, legal experts say the action will most likely reverberate in other states where legislators and investigators are increasingly questioning whether the industry should operate unfettered by regulations that govern legalized gambling.
“It is clear that DraftKings and FanDuel are the leaders of a massive, multibillion-dollar scheme intended to evade the law and fleece sports fans across the country,” Mr. Schneiderman said, adding, “Today we have sent a clear message: not in New York, and not on my watch.”
And there we have it, a huge domino in the daily fantasy sports business falls because another person obviously doesn’t understand how it works. I went on my big tirade about this previously — every bit of the media around this has been poorly reported and agenda driven since the jump — and the culmination of it all is a New York State attorney general demanding a stop to operations while wagging his dick all over the place in the hackiest of ways.
Not on your watch, Schneiderman? “Fleecing sports fans”? It’s the most naked attempt at positive PR designed to trick dumb people who’ll go “Yeah! That Eric Schneiderman is on my side!” that I’ve ever seen. He’s not some local news reporter doing a “Shame on You!” segment about a laundromat clerk who rounds up on every dollar and keeps the difference. It’s a fucking multi-billion industry that you handle with actual legal grounds and an eye towards helping keep that profitability in our broke-ass state instead of trying to puff your chest out and protect the fair citizens of Gotham. I always hope for the best that people will see beyond the surface and think for themselves but if some guy issuing a statement like he’s John Wayne cleaning up varmints doesn’t raise an eyebrow, it’s beyond all hope.
Guys don’t spend hours a day tweaking spreadsheets and poring over defensive efficiency stats because they’re being fleeced. They don’t sweat out games until 1 AM because they believed in their soul in Reggie Jackson, only to watch him finally go through and score 15 in the 4th to come from behind and beat the Trailblazers to win their big payout. Anyone saying that this isn’t a game of skill — tedious, exhausting, but exhilarating skill — is an idiot who doesn’t know better or is just looking for their time in the sun. Props to Eric Schneiderman for going for the gold medal and being both.
The daily fantasy sports sites are banding together to protect daily fantasy sports in New York going up against guys like Schneiderman trying to piggyback on controversy to build their own career. Even if you don’t play daily fantasy sports, do your part and sign this petition. Don’t let incompetent state governments stand in the way of technology and innovation.
PS Glad those other games of skill, off-track betting, slot machines at the Yonkers racetrack, and the very profitable and often-advertised NY State lottery continue unimpeded. Schneiderman you genius, you’ve done it again!