Should Daily Fantasy Sports Games Be Considered Forms Of...

Should Daily Fantasy Sports Games Be Considered Forms of Gambling? Approximately 80% of Americans gamble at least once per year, in the amount of approximately $500 billion in 2013 (Aziz). Gambling has long held a tradition in America and is now becoming a ubiquitous industry. In recent years, as the gambling industry evolves with technological advancements, the growth of online sports wagering has created widespread concerns beyond those of traditional casino gambling. Legality of real sports betting, which includes betting on actual teams, players, or scores, is determined at the state level, with only four states (Delaware, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon) deciding it is legal to gamble on real life sports. However, online daily†¦show more content†¦In contrast, a game of skill is a game where the outcome is determined by the â€Å"a learned and developed ability, technical expertise, and knowledge† (LaMance). Games of skill are determined by mental or physical ab ilities that affect the outcome. If determined to be games of chance, all forms of fantasy sports games would become illegal in all states except Delaware, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon. It is necessary, before determining whether DFS games are games of chance or games of skill, to investigate how these online fantasy sports websites operate. DFS games allow fantasy â€Å"owners† to choose specific athletes based on their prediction of the performance of those athletes. The fantasy owners then compete against other owners in leagues, with the winners receiving monetary winnings. Each owner’s athletes accumulate points based on the athletes’ in-game performances. The owner of the team that has the most points by the end of the league, whether it be a day, week, or season competition, takes home the winnings. These winnings can be used to enter into new leagues or be deposited in the owner’s bank account. After one analyzes how online DFS games work, one can see that online fantasy sports websites are