Sports Bettors Eye DFS Bills

Sports betting advocates have been keeping a sharp eye on states where Daily Fantasy Sports bills have been introduced. There is no shortage of them, as 20 states have seen the matter raised.

One notable exception is California, the state with the most DFS players and in all probability, sports bettors. After a bill cruised through the state Assembly last year, the issue has not been raised so far in 2017. California Attorney General Kamala Harris has not ruled on the legality of DFS games.

The logic is that states that pass DFS games may be more receptive to legal sports betting. Maryland sought to legalize and regulate DFS in 2016. In 2017 a bill to legalize sports betting has surfaced.

Florida and Texas are key states in the battle due to their population. There are three different bills in Texas even though Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton considers DFS illegal. Florida also has several different bills on the table after failing last year.

The most interesting state is Oregon, which has two bills. The first would legalize and regulate paid fantasy games. The second would declare Daily Fantasy Sports “games of chance.” It’s also important to remember Oregon was one of the states where sports betting was legal before PAPSA.

Sports betting has become socially accepted. The major sports outlets all have writers to cover the sports betting scene and there is no sign of it slowing down. Many law enforcement officials are in favor of legalized sports betting. To ask them to hunt down sports bettors would be viewed as a waste of time and resources.