Fantasy Sports Industry Pushes for Legalization in All 50 States

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.

From Forbes.com:

“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