State Targets Fantasy Sports Firms

FLORIDA (September 25, 2023) — Three daily fantasy-sports operators were sent cease-and-desist letters last week after Florida gambling regulators accused them of offering potentially illegal mobile betting games.

The News Service of Florida reported on the letters Friday and obtained emails that indicate that the Florida Gaming Control Commission’s crackdown also places season-long fantasy sports games in the crosshairs.

Companies that operate daily fantasy sports games exist in a legal grey area in Florida as the state does not mention daily fantasy sports in its laws that define unlawful gambling.

Florida gambling regulators sent the cease-and-desist letters to Underdog Sports, LLC, which is based in Brooklyn, N.Y; SidePrize LLC, also known as Performance Predictions LLC, doing business as PrizePicks, which is based in Atlanta; and Betr Holdings, Inc., which is based in Miami.

While the letters indicate the state’s intent to crackdown on what it describes as “illegal bets or wagers,” the commission did not send letters to many other popular websites and mobile apps that operate daily fantasy sports games like DraftKings and FanDuel.

What are daily fantasy sports?

Daily fantasy sports involves players assembling virtual rosters of professional athletes, and then competing against others based on the performance of those athletes in real life, according to the Associated Press. It is played for fun, as well as for cash.

Is daily fantasy sports betting legal in Florida?

Not exactly. There are no laws in the Florida Constitution permitting gambling in daily fantasy sports games, but there are no laws expressly prohibiting it either.

Until now, there has never been an attempt to stop Floridians from taking part in daily fantasy sports games.

SOURCE: Pensacola News Journal.