Daily fantasy sports is neither victimless nor harmless, and it is clear that DraftKings and FanDuel are the leaders of a massive, multi-billion-dollar scheme intended to evade the law and fleece sports fans across the country.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Unlike most traditional, season-long fantasy sports sites, which make most of their money from administrative fees and advertising, FanDuel and DraftKings take a cut of every bet. That is what bookies do, and it is illegal in New York.
Our investigation has found that, unlike traditional fantasy sports, daily fantasy sports companies are engaged in illegal gambling under New York law, causing the same kinds of social and economic harms as other forms of illegal gambling and misleading New York consumers.
While, to me, daily fantasy is in no way sports betting, it's certainly a cousin of sports betting in that it attracts many of the same type of people who would otherwise choose to bet on sports.
Our review concludes that DraftKings'/FanDuel's operations constitute illegal gambling under New York law.
The thing that all sports have in common is that they have no fantasy elements, which is a little weird.
As a matter of policy from the beginning with our team, there have been three things we've said we won't draft a player: if they've been involved in domestic violence, drug abuse, or if they show lack of respect for authority.
It's not just the NFL. Every other league has a draft. It has been fundamental to the success of professional sports.
Fantasy sports went a long way toward developing the sabermetrics formulas used not only by oddsmakers but general managers in hiring players. So the amateur fantasists ended up creating some of the algorithms that Oakland GM Billy Bean's statisticians used to win games with less salary money available for star players.
The vast majority of fantasy football fans, myself included, revel in the absurdity of it all.
Thank you... fantasy football draft, for letting me know that even in my fantasies, I am bad at sports.