New Hampshire added its name to the growing list of states that have legalized daily fantasy sports. The register of DFS states now stands at a baker’s dozen.
Meanwhile, 3,000 miles away, California became the newest state to make preparations in the event the federal sports betting ban is lifted. If passed, a new constitutional amendment filed by California Assemblyman Adam Gray would allow the Golden State to legalize sports betting… if federal law were to change.
DFS legislation update
New Hampshire makes it official
The signature of Gov. Chris Sununu was placed at the bottom of New Hampshire’s DFS bill on July 20. That means the Granite State officially became the thirteenth state to pass legislation legalizing and regulating daily fantasy sports contests.
Here’s the full list of states with DFS laws on the books:
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- New Hampshire
- New York
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Tennessee
The DFS bill tally
The number of states that have introduced legislation seeking to legalize DFS in 2017 remains at 25. With New Hampshire going in the “Win” column, the number of states with active legislation stands at 15:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Jersey
New Hampshire- North Carolina
- Ohio
Oregon- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Texas
- Vermont
- Washington
Legal Sports Report’s legislative tracker has up-to-the-minute updates on all DFS legislation.
Resorts Casino AC launches DFS/sports betting hybrid
A new house-banked DFS product is blurring the lines between daily fantasy sports and sports betting.
The game, called FastPick, is being offered online through Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, with plans for a land-based launch also in the works.
FastPick is essentially parlay betting that scores based on player fantasy stats instead of game results.
A game of FastPick begins with the user selecting the wager amount, which can range from $10 to $200, and the number of player vs. player matchups they want to participate in. That number must be at least three and no more than then. The more matchups, the bigger the potential payout; a $200 wager on a 10-player matchup has a max payout of $100,000.
This is definitely a product worth monitoring, as it could face legal scrutiny, as well as being a clear challenge to the traditional DFS model.
Sports betting legalization update
California joins the fray
With the introduction of a constitutional amendment by Assemblymember Adam Gray, California became the tenth state to jump on the sports betting bandwagon.
California appears to be banking on New Jersey winning its US Supreme Court case, as Gray’s proposal would allow California to authorize sports betting if federal law were to change.
“I am pleased to see the US Supreme Court has shouldered the burden of bringing legal clarity to the issue of sports wagering and the rights of states under the United States Constitution,” Gray said.
A constitutional amendment is required in order for that to become a reality in California. The amendment has a steep hill to climb, as it would need to pass both chambers by a two-thirds majority and a statewide voter referendum.
Sports betting legislation
With the addition of California, 12 states have either taken up the fight to repeal PASPA, or are exploring legislation that would authorize sports betting if federal sports betting laws were to change:
- California
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- New Jersey
- New York
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- West Virginia
Image credit: Karin Hildebrand Lau / Shutterstock.com
