Is Daily Fantasy sports gambling?

In YOUR OPINION, is Daily Fantasy sports gambling? Is it a game of skill, or a game of chance? Some of both, maybe?

In YOUR OPINION, should it legal or illegal? Address these question as if there were no laws one way or another, and it was solely up to you to make the decision and place necessary laws in place.

A news article to aid discussion...

Illinois Says Daily Fantasy Sports Are Illegal

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/24/s...n=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=collection

Quote from linked article:
"Legal arguments elsewhere have centered on the distinction between games of skill and of chance. But the Illinois attorney general, Lisa Madigan, in a written opinion, said it did not matter if the games involved skill or luck because state law prohibited them either way.

“Absent legislation specifically exempting daily fantasy sports contests from the gambling provisions, it is my opinion that daily fantasy sports contests constitute illegal gambling under Illinois law,” Ms. Madigan wrote."

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I can see the argument going either way really, but suspect that government will determine that fantasy sports as a game of luck.

Even though it takes some degree of skill (in this case knowledge of the players and game) in making selections, the very next step involves no input or "game of skill" from the person making the bet. It all comes down to the players and games that were bet on in some regard.

In YOUR OPINION, is Daily Fantasy sports gambling? Is it a game of skill, or a game of chance? Some of both, maybe?

In YOUR OPINION, should it legal or illegal? Address these question as if there were no laws one way or another, and it was solely up to you to make the decision and place necessary laws in place.

A news article to aid discussion...

Illinois Says Daily Fantasy Sports Are Illegal

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/24/s...n=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=collection

Quote from linked article:
"Legal arguments elsewhere have centered on the distinction between games of skill and of chance. But the Illinois attorney general, Lisa Madigan, in a written opinion, said it did not matter if the games involved skill or luck because state law prohibited them either way.

“Absent legislation specifically exempting daily fantasy sports contests from the gambling provisions, it is my opinion that daily fantasy sports contests constitute illegal gambling under Illinois law,” Ms. Madigan wrote."

Click to expand...

It's gambling. And I like fantasy sports. But it's no different that poker or horse racing. Yes there is some skill involved in fantasy sports, just as there is in poker and horse racing. But if those 2 games are gambling, then so is daily fantasy sports.

radcen said:

In YOUR OPINION, is Daily Fantasy sports gambling? Is it a game of skill, or a game of chance? Some of both, maybe?

In YOUR OPINION, should it legal or illegal? Address these question as if there were no laws one way or another, and it was solely up to you to make the decision and place necessary laws in place.

A news article to aid discussion...

Click to expand...

So long as someone, other than the participants, is making money off it then it IS gambling. But yes it should be legal, what people do with their own money is their business.

How many threads are we going to have on this?

OrphanSlug said:

How many threads are we going to have on this?

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I did not create the other one (this one, the non-poll thread). Things have been acting strange for me this morning, don't know why. I have put in a request that they be merged.

CaptainCourtesy said:

Moderator's Warning:

Threads merged.

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Thank you, kind sir.

OrphanSlug said:

I can see the argument going either way really, but suspect that government will determine that fantasy sports as a game of luck.

Even though it takes some degree of skill (in this case knowledge of the players and game) in making selections, the very next step involves no input or "game of skill" from the person making the bet. It all comes down to the players and games that were bet on in some regard.

Click to expand...

SenorXm/Sirius said:

It's gambling. And I like fantasy sports. But it's no different that poker or horse racing. Yes there is some skill involved in fantasy sports, just as there is in poker and horse racing. But if those 2 games are gambling, then so is daily fantasy sports.

Click to expand...

I can see both sides, as well, though I think it's closer to gambling than not. On the one hand you have to know who the good players are, but on the other hand you cannot control what they do.

Casper said:

So long as someone, other than the participants, is making money off it then it IS gambling. But yes it should be legal, what people do with their own money is their business.

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If it's just money being made then I'm gambling when I buy a shirt. Gambling that it'll be decent quality, I guess.

It is some of both. Somewhat like poker.

radcen said:

I can see both sides, as well, though I think it's closer to gambling than not. On the one hand you have to know who the good players are, but on the other hand you cannot control what they do.

Click to expand...

From a regulatory standpoint, which is where this is going no matter what we all think, it is going to end up as a game of chance.

There is too much that the person making the bet has little to no control over. At the same time it is also easy to argue that sites like DraftKings and FanDuel have different tiers of betting, and different cost tiers based on whom (sports player, or sports team) is being selected by the person making the bet. In a way showing both potential "odds" as well as cost to reward of doing well enough and often enough in some betting league.

That shows very eloquently that those sites are already looking at how much the game itself is mostly a game of chance but influenced by the knowledge of the one making the bet, and having these sites adjust the field accordingly based on those outcomes that are out of the control of that same person making the bet.

The insider trading(for lack of a better term) mess with Draftkings and Fanduel didn't do them any good either. It put a spotlight on them.. Start using words like Scandal. Rigged. Fixed. Scam. Etc. It gets people's attention, especial the government.