The DraftKings And FanDuel Fantasy League Phenomenon: The Latest Chapter in the Sports Gambling Legalization Debate in America

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Baishampayan Ghos under CC BY-SA 2.0 License

Modern-day fantasy sports leagues have come a long way since their Rotisserie Days of Yore. As the New Millennium marches along you can't turn your television sets on without seeing an ad for some type of fantasy league trying to entice you-the consumer-into spending the All-Mighty American Dollar.  The two sports fantasy web sites that have made their imprint known over the last several months are DraftKings and FanDuel.


Of course with the growing popularity of sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel comes the question of whether fantasy sports leagues constitute a form of gambling?   If so, should it be viewed as a legalized form of gambling somewhere down the road? This is one of those topics where it seems there are a lot of gray areas. Since participating in fantasy leagues involves spending one's hard-earned cash and relying on an athlete's performance over a set amount of time in determining whether one wins or loses in said fantasy leagues, it would certainly seem possible  that you could make a case for fantasy sports leagues being considered a form of gambling.  On the other hand, it is important to recognize the value these fantasy leagues have in partnership with the four major professional sports leagues.  Fantasy sports itself has for years and will most likely continue to be an important part of the overall sports landscape for the forseeable future.


I know for myself as a consumer, I don't particularly see the allure of daily fantasy leagues.

Throughout my life I have watched sports for pure entertainment value without the desire to partake in gambling for the most part.  About the closest thing I've done in terms of sports gambling is betting on the horses at my local race track.  Sports gambling of any form is one of those things that should be done in moderation.  Whether or not fantasy leagues fall under the gambling distinction remains to be seen.  My only wish if this continues to be a hotly debated topic in the coming years is that it won't reach the Supreme Court level before something is decided one way or another.


Tim Musick
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