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FantasyDraft dropped Florida (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Wadsworth
- Start date
Wadsworth
Footballguy
The email reads:
You are receiving this email because you registered on FantasyDraft as a resident of Florida.
After much deliberation, FantasyDraft has made the decision to classify Florida as a Prohibited Jurisdiction. As a result, our Terms of Use will be updated and as of this moment we will no longer accept deposits or offer contests awarding prizes in the state of Florida.
If you have entries into contests that have not yet started, we will be canceling these entries and refunding entry fees to your account today. Any entries in active contests will finalize according to the standard process upon completion of the contest.
We will continue to closely monitor the situation in Florida and will notify you if there are changes in the future.
Your account will remain open and you may withdraw your balance at any time. You may also still play in free contests that do not award any prizes.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at support@fantasydraft.com.
Sincerely,
The FantasyDraft Team
You are receiving this email because you registered on FantasyDraft as a resident of Florida.
After much deliberation, FantasyDraft has made the decision to classify Florida as a Prohibited Jurisdiction. As a result, our Terms of Use will be updated and as of this moment we will no longer accept deposits or offer contests awarding prizes in the state of Florida.
If you have entries into contests that have not yet started, we will be canceling these entries and refunding entry fees to your account today. Any entries in active contests will finalize according to the standard process upon completion of the contest.
We will continue to closely monitor the situation in Florida and will notify you if there are changes in the future.
Your account will remain open and you may withdraw your balance at any time. You may also still play in free contests that do not award any prizes.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at support@fantasydraft.com.
Sincerely,
The FantasyDraft Team
I think more businesses are going to start doing this. (Not just DFS sites, but more businesses in general.)
eaglesfan7
Footballguy
Vegas dropped all daily fantasy every site
eaglesfan7
Footballguy
The poker chip has fallen...
PewterFan
Footballguy
Fantasy Sports Trade Association Gets Subpoena From U.S. Prosecutor
U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tampa, Fla. seeks copies of association’s board meeting minutes
I'm just a casual player on FanDuel. As a Floridian should I treat this weekend as if it'll be the last before this state gets added to the growing list of those that can't play? I may go wild & play $25 instead of $20.
U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tampa, Fla. seeks copies of association’s board meeting minutes
I'm just a casual player on FanDuel. As a Floridian should I treat this weekend as if it'll be the last before this state gets added to the growing list of those that can't play? I may go wild & play $25 instead of $20.
Norseman
Footballguy
I was coming in here to post the same thing. I didn't get an email, but the only games that were coming up for me were free? I dug around and saw that Florida was included in the excluded states.
I had gotten the free $5 from them for Footballguys and had more than doubled it in two weeks.
:sadbanana
I had gotten the free $5 from them for Footballguys and had more than doubled it in two weeks.
:sadbanana
Mighty Mice
Footballguy
As of tonight, can't play Yahoo DFS as a Florida resident either. Went to set my lineups, not allowed. Guess I'm cashing out at the end of the week after my Thursday games and finding a new place to play. Seems like FL sites are dropping fast, though.
If I lived in Florida, I would withdraw.
It's apparently pretty clear under Florida law that operating a fantasy-sports game for money is prohibited, and has been since at least 1991, well before DFS existed.
I don't think any DFS sites will be allowing Florida residents to play much longer, and if you can't play, why keep money on the site?
I don't believe people will have a problem pulling their money out whenever they want to. But just in case there is a problem down the road (see: "Black Friday" in poker), why not get your money out sooner rather than later?
Don't take any of this as any kind of legal advice. I'm just killing time on a message board...
It's apparently pretty clear under Florida law that operating a fantasy-sports game for money is prohibited, and has been since at least 1991, well before DFS existed.
I don't think any DFS sites will be allowing Florida residents to play much longer, and if you can't play, why keep money on the site?
I don't believe people will have a problem pulling their money out whenever they want to. But just in case there is a problem down the road (see: "Black Friday" in poker), why not get your money out sooner rather than later?
Don't take any of this as any kind of legal advice. I'm just killing time on a message board...
Wadsworth
Footballguy
I love this part:
Florida's gambling laws, generally codified in Ch. 849, F.S., primarily concern games of chance rather than contests of skill. For example, lotteries, consisting of a prize awarded by chance for consideration,[2] are generally prohibited by s. 849.09, F.S.
Generally prohibited. Unless the state is profiting from said lottery.
As a very non-attorney, reading this seems to strongly suggest that any fantasy league with a fee and prize money is illegal in Florida. I bet with some digging you will find similar laws in almost every state. This is not trending in a good direction for the industry as a whole. Ethan + over the top ill-informed press overreaction = ? Something bad. All this started with a tweet from a guy with hardly any followers. Weird world.
GilbertGrape
Footballguy
No way, you're totally my lawyer!
Just kidding, I would never live in Florida.
Yeah, this state with no income tax, great weather, fantastic beaches, tons of entertainment and sport attractions, etc.....is a horrible place to live.
In all seriousness, Florida does have some really goofy laws that they don't enforce. For example, there's a law against living together with your significant other while not being married. Really dumb but it's a law that is never enforced.
JShare87
Footballguy
Most likely what I'm going to do. Just trying to figure out which basket to put all my eggs in.I think I'm just going to take the lititle bit of money I have left on FD and go all in this weekend.
Whatever is left on Tuesday, I'll pull out.
Mighty Mice
Footballguy
Yup. All in on DK and Yahoo, one last time, as I already committed a chunk on Thursday games. All out on Tuesday. Fun while it lasted.I think I'm just going to take the lititle bit of money I have left on FD and go all in this weekend.
Whatever is left on Tuesday, I'll pull out.
:(
JShare87
Footballguy
Just throw all 50k out there this weekend.
Long Ball Larry
Footballguy
Just got an e-mail from StarsDraft that they can only let people located in KS, MD, MA and NJ play from now on.
I'm a practicing Florida attorney, and actually have specialized in Florida gaming/gambling law for the past 15 years or so. My "specialization" is focused on those issues generally involving grey areas demarcating what things are allowed as exceptions to Florida's general prohibition of lotteries-lotteries being defined only as giving consideration for the chance to win something. I have represented, and still do, many of the charitable bingo interests, and what we have called "senior arcades". Floridas gambling crimes chapter provides at least 14 exceptions to the general prohibitions. (for example..pari mutuals,charitable bingo, penny ante poker, charitable raffles, game promotions in connection with the sale of consumer products or services, etc). There has never been a shortage of envelope pushing as far as these exceptions are concerned, and there have been some notoriously publicized law enforcement actions directed at them( Allied Veterans of the World sweepstakes scandal in 2013 being the latest and biggest).
Against that background, i truly believe that DFS could survive in this state with running afoul of Chapter 849, but would have to be restructured.
A 1991 Attorney General opinion does not make, nor is it any kind of persuasive authority , what the law is or how it should be interpreted. After all, all of the major fantasy sites, prior to DFS, have operated in Florida without any scrutiny whatever. You could play on Yahoo, ESPN, CBS, etc, without any fear of government intervention for all these years. In reality, whats the difference between DFS and season long...fantasy sports is fantasy sports. Its no different than if placing a bet on a singular game or on a futures proposition(Dolphins o/u on the season 21/2 wins, for example).
So why all of a sudden would any law enforcement agency decide overnight that DFS is illegal? The answer is, they probably wouldnt, because throughout the state law enforcement regarding gray area gambling has been totally inconsisitent from county to county, some counties could care less about these harmless activities, others dont want them no matter what. But, unless and until, the legislature addresses the issue head on, there will continue to be a debate about whether DFS, or any fantasy game, is illegal under Florida law. No individual law enforcement agency in this state is going to go after DFS, unless its the Florida Dept of Law Enforcement, but an extensive investigation would have to first occur, which in this case i imagine would cost big money and take a lot of time. The legislature does not convene in general session again until March 2016, so any pronouncement that Florida has banned DFS before the legislature acts is misleading at best, totally false at worst. Until then, its all a matter of debate.
As i understand, Draftkings and FanDuel have retained top lobbyists in Tallahassee in preparation for a potential battle in the legislature. Make no mistake though, in Tallahassee, money and power and votes are what carry the day. Our friends at DK and FD seem to have no shortage of cash needed for these purposes.
So, to sum up, i think DFS pulling out of Florida is premature, and i cant imagine that the major sites will go down without a fight. Just my opinion, of course, but i've seen, up close and personally, how the Florida legislature works....i wouldnt necessarily bet against DFS in Florida.
Against that background, i truly believe that DFS could survive in this state with running afoul of Chapter 849, but would have to be restructured.
A 1991 Attorney General opinion does not make, nor is it any kind of persuasive authority , what the law is or how it should be interpreted. After all, all of the major fantasy sites, prior to DFS, have operated in Florida without any scrutiny whatever. You could play on Yahoo, ESPN, CBS, etc, without any fear of government intervention for all these years. In reality, whats the difference between DFS and season long...fantasy sports is fantasy sports. Its no different than if placing a bet on a singular game or on a futures proposition(Dolphins o/u on the season 21/2 wins, for example).
So why all of a sudden would any law enforcement agency decide overnight that DFS is illegal? The answer is, they probably wouldnt, because throughout the state law enforcement regarding gray area gambling has been totally inconsisitent from county to county, some counties could care less about these harmless activities, others dont want them no matter what. But, unless and until, the legislature addresses the issue head on, there will continue to be a debate about whether DFS, or any fantasy game, is illegal under Florida law. No individual law enforcement agency in this state is going to go after DFS, unless its the Florida Dept of Law Enforcement, but an extensive investigation would have to first occur, which in this case i imagine would cost big money and take a lot of time. The legislature does not convene in general session again until March 2016, so any pronouncement that Florida has banned DFS before the legislature acts is misleading at best, totally false at worst. Until then, its all a matter of debate.
As i understand, Draftkings and FanDuel have retained top lobbyists in Tallahassee in preparation for a potential battle in the legislature. Make no mistake though, in Tallahassee, money and power and votes are what carry the day. Our friends at DK and FD seem to have no shortage of cash needed for these purposes.
So, to sum up, i think DFS pulling out of Florida is premature, and i cant imagine that the major sites will go down without a fight. Just my opinion, of course, but i've seen, up close and personally, how the Florida legislature works....i wouldnt necessarily bet against DFS in Florida.
