Tag: fantasy sports

Baseball / Class Actions / Fantasy Sports / MLB

Fantasy Baseball Players Sue MLB, Houston Astros, and Boston Red Sox

There has been extensive fallout of the Houston Astros cheating scandal in baseball. From suspensions to fines to taking away draft picks, the MLB has internally disciplined the Astros. However, there has been speculation as to the potential legal consequences of the cheating scandal. On January 23, 2020, one such legal consequence became apparent when five fantasy baseball players filed a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York against the MLB, the Astros, and the Boston Red Sox. …

Continue Reading
Gambling / Legislation

New York Appellate Court Rules Fantasy Sports is Illegal Gambling

The New York Appellate Division, Third Department, has ruled that fantasy sports betting is illegal gambling in New York State, reversing a 2016 law that had permitted the activity.

Previously, the legislature passed a law regulating daily fantasy sports, stating that the practice was legal within state limits. Opposition to the bill pointed out that the New York State Constitution prohibits lawmakers from legalizing gambling absent an amendment to the State Constitution. Meanwhile, proponents of the bill argued that the activity failed to meet the …

Continue Reading
Celebrities / Fantasy Sports / Fraud / Gambling / NFL / Sports Betting / Sports Gambling / TV

DraftKings Comes Under Fire Following Collusion Scandal Involving “Bachelor” Stars

Two stars from “The Bachelor” are facing allegations that they colluded in a DraftKings contest to win $1 million, adding to the controversies that the daily fantasy sports industry is facing.

Jade Roper-Tolbert won $1 million in the DraftKings Millionaire Maker involving the NFL playoffs. She entered 150 lineups, which is the maximum number allowed for a single contestant. Tanner Tolbert, her husband who she met while filming “Bachelor in Paradise,” also entered the same contest with 150 entries. However, it is alleged that none …

Continue Reading
Sports Betting / Sports Gambling

The Garden of Even Odds: DraftKings and Madison Square Garden Reach New Partnership

With the New Year now underway, sports betting news has skipped the typical holiday lull and continued its deluge into the mainstream.

On the second day of this new decade, the Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) and DraftKings, Inc. announced a renewed partnership. Under this new marketing agreement, DraftKings is set to become the exclusive sports betting and daily fantasy sports partner of MSG – which includes massive market teams, the New York Knicks and New York Rangers.

Notably, this new deal will allow …

Continue Reading
Antitrust / Fantasy Sports / Gambling / Sports Betting / Sports Gambling

FanDuel Owner to Become Largest Gambling Company in $6 Billion Deal, Targets U.S. Sports Betting Market

Flutter Entertainment PLC, the owner of Paddy Power and FanDuel, announced a $6 billion deal to purchase The Stars Group Inc. (TSG) and become the world’s largest online gambling company.

Flutter, an Irish gambling conglomerate, owns gambling websites Paddy Power and Betfair, in addition to sports betting websites FanDuel, Sportsbet, and TVG. Meanwhile, Canadian company TSG owns the world’s largest poker website, PokerStars, as well as BetStars and Full Tilt Poker.

The combined value of the companies is approximately $12 billion. Further, the combined …

Continue Reading
Fantasy Sports / Gambling / NFL / Sponsorships / Sports Betting / Sports Gambling

NFL Officially Partners With DraftKings for Daily Fantasy

On September 26, 2019, the NFL announced that it has selected DraftKings to be its first official daily fantasy partner. Notably, this partnership deal does not include sports betting.

In a joint statement, the companies stated that their partnership includes “exclusive sponsorship of the daily fantasy sports category with access to NFL branding and more.” NFL Chief Revenue Officer Renie Anderson said, “[d]aily fantasy football has been a tremendous vehicle for fans of all types to deepen their engagement with the NFL.” Over 11 …

Continue Reading
Fantasy Sports / Sports Betting / Sports Gambling

Plaintiffs Win Big: NY Court Classifies Fantasy Sports Betting as Gambling

NY State Court Judge Connolly ruled on Monday that fantasy sports contests are gambling, thus rendering the state law legalizing their operation unconstitutional. The decision is a major blow to industry leaders like DraftKings Inc. and FanDuel Inc. However, the Justice noted that the decision fails to bind the lawmakers from excluding such contests from the penal law governing anti-gambling regulations.

Plaintiffs brought the suit against Governor Cuomo and the NY State Gaming Commission opposing the law legalizing fantasy sports betting. The law originally legalized …

Continue Reading
Contract / Fantasy Sports / Gambling / Intellectual Property / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / Litigation / Trademark

CBS Interactive Inc. Sued for Trademark Infringement

On July 13, 2018, Fulltime Fantasy Sports, LLC (Fulltime) sued CBS Interactive Inc. (CBSi) for trademark infringement, false advertising, breach of contract, conversion, unlawful and deceptive practices, and unfair competition. According to the complaint, “[a]s fantasy football season approaches, Fulltime has been forced to file this action to seek relief from the Court’s so that CBSi will stop misappropriating Fulltime’s intellectual property and good will, stop confusing consumers, and pay Fulltime what it is owed.”

Fulltime, founded in 2011, “provided premier fantasy sports content, …

Continue Reading
Fantasy Sports

College Football Right of Publicity Lawsuit: Player Unions Support College Athletes in Fantasy Sports Suit

On January 25, 2018 the Sports and Entertainment Law Insider discussed a lawsuit filed by former NCAA football players, Akeem Daniels, Cameron Stingily, and Nicholas Stoner, who alleged that daily fantasy sports (DFS) providers had violated an Indiana state right-of-publicity statute when the DFS companies used names, images, likenesses, and statistics of student-athletes in online fantasy sports contests. In September 2017, the case was dismissed by the United States District Court based on a finding that the use of the names, images, and likenesses were …

Continue Reading
Fantasy Sports / NCAA

Five College Baseball Players Suspended for Involvement in Fantasy Sports

Student-athletes need to think twice before accepting their fantasy football league invitations this year. Five players from the University of Richmond’s baseball team have learned this lesson the hard way. The five effected players have begun the 2017 college baseball season suspended by the NCAA for their involvement in a fantasy football league.

The NCAA rules state: “You are not eligible to compete if you knowingly participate in any sports wagering activity that involves intercollegiate, amateur or professional athletics, through a bookmaker, a parlay card …

Continue Reading