Professor Maureen Weston Publishes "Daily Fantasy Sports and the Law in the USA" -- International Sports Law Journal
Professor Maureen Arellano Weston has published "Daily Fantasy Sports and the Law in the USA" (SSRN) in the International Sports Law Journal. Professor Weston contributed the article as part of a special edition of the International Sports Law Journal focused on the comparative approaches and legal aspects of daily fantasy sports (DFS) in various countries. Distinguished scholars from different countries were invited to write on their respective legal approaches to DFS and the lucrative industry of sports gambling.
Abstract of "Daily Fantasy Sports and the Law in the USA"
This chapter examines legal, regulatory, and social issues surrounding the phenomenon of the daily fantasy sports (DFS) industry in the USA. Traditional fantasy sports contests largely involved groups of family or friends creating their own respective "fantasy" teams of real professional athletes, whose actual games results over the course of an entire season determined the success of one's fantasy team. Fantasy sports contests were not considered gambling on sports, and federal legislation exempts "fantasy sports" from prohibitions against online gambling. As the name implied, DFS is a different product, offering users who pay the DFS operating company to select their team roster on a daily basis, competitions can occur over a day or a week depending on the contest, and among thousands of users, few of whom are consistent winners in the contests. The DFS commercials and advertisements are again blaring the airwaves. Major DFS operators are expanding their product lines and are now fully immersed in online, mobile, and casino sports gambling in states where legal. The DFS and sports gaming market is booming; the technology, analytics, user sophistication, financial stakes, and the distinction between DFS and gambling are increasingly blurred. This chapter considers the legal, regulatory, and social issues arising from the expanding DFS and sport gaming business.