This Week In Daily: August 28, 2015

Written By

Dustin Gouker

Updated on

DraftKings ad

“This Week In Daily” is LegalSportsReport’s weekly wrap of key facts, happenings and miscellany from the daily fantasy sports industry.

Stories of note

State matters: Nevada, Michigan and Pennsylvania

What states are planning to do with DFS was in the spotlight this week:

While much is made of the UIGEA carveout of fantasy sports at the federal level, that never trumps what states want to do. So keeping an eye on what state legislatures are up to at the end of 2015 and beyond will be key.

Fantasy sports in crosshairs of Gamblers Anonymous

A TV station in Washington D.C. learned that Gamblers Anonymous is thinking about adding fantasy sports to its book that is used in meetings around the world. Our analysis and takeaways here.

While this might not be a bombshell — the book also includes stock trading and other legal activities as things that are discouraged — it adds to the perception problem for the DFS industry. It continues to insist it’s not gambling, while a lot of people without a vested interest believe the opposite.

Perhaps the most honest assessment on the whole matter came in an op-ed from a few months ago, opining that DFS is both gambling and a skill game. Which, increasingly, seems to mirror the opinion of the public and mainstream media.

Of the week

Read of the week

‘eBay meets Facebook in Las Vegas’: The fascinating story of Betcha.com

This story from ESPN’s Chalk got kind of lost in the shuffle after the New Jersey sports betting case ruling came down. But it’s an interesting read about the fall of an “exchanged-based” betting platform in Washington state.

The application to DFS? Here’s ESPN’s Ryan Rodenberg, the author:

The Betcha.com enforcement action has lessons for how rapidly changing fantasy and wagering options are regulated on a state-by-state basis. With no uniform federal standard, some states are lax while others aggressively regulate the space. Washington, a jurisdiction with one of the strictest online gambling laws in the country, is illustrative of the latter.

“Any DFS company operating in Washington or providing services to Washington residents would be illegal under state law,” Newer said. “DFS has received some complaints and we follow up on all complaints.

“We do have investigations pertaining to DFS.”

Watch and listen of the week

Actor Ed Norton narrates a new DraftKings ad. According to a press release from DraftKings, it’s part of a new campaign called “Welcome to the Big Time” and it will launch Sunday on FOX, ESPN, NBC and CBS:

Tweets of the week

Number of the week

$12 million

The amount that DraftKings has spent on television advertising in the past week. That puts DraftKings No. 4 in the United States in TV ad spend in that time frame, ahead of companies like Ford and McDonald’s.

In case you missed it

Other news and stories from the world of DFS:

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Dustin Gouker

Dustin Gouker has been a sports journalist for more than 15 years, working as a reporter, editor and designer — including stops at The Washington Post and the D.C. Examiner.

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