Fantasy football and gambling Fantasy football leagues can require a pool betting operating licence because the prize values are determined by the number of paying entrants. The exception to this. While gambling money against the possible real-world games' outcomes is illegal in all states except Nevada, the fantasy football gambling games are legal because they.
Some 56 million fantasy sports players are plunking down money hoping to win big prizes based on the outcome of real world games.
Sure sounds like sports gambling, which happens to be illegal in every state except for Nevada.
But fantasy sports is perfectly legal.
The reason: a series of court decisions and a 63-word provision of federal law that classify fantasy sports as a game of skill.
For the most part, games of skill are allowed under federal law. Illegal gambling is considered to be a game of chance.
Fantasy sports works like this: Fans choose from real players in a draft or an online selection process to assemble a fantasy team. The players' real-game statistics are compiled and compared to see whose fantasy team has done the best.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 specifically mentions fantasy sports as something allowed under the law, as long as people are not betting on the outcome of a single game or the performance of a single player.
Because fantasy sports 'owners' must make decisions to pick multiple players for their teams, they are participating in a game of skill.
That legal status is unlikely to change.
Fantasy sports has grown into an estimated $1.5 billion industry. Many of the major media and Internet companies such as Disney's(DIS) ESPN unit, Yahoo(YHOO) and CBS(CBS) have become major players in the business.
Two standalone companies specializing in daily fantasy games -- DraftKings and FanDuel --have each raised about $300 million from investors.
Fantasy sports is illegal in five states -- Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana and Washington, according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association. That trade group is pushing for legislation to change the law in those states.
On Monday, DraftKings and FanDuel announced they have banned employees from playing fantasy games after allegations surfaced that a DraftKings employee reportedly made $350,000 on FanDuel's football game when he had insider information about which players were being chosen by other fantasy team owners.
Right now there really is no government authority that oversees fantasy sports, the way gambling regulators oversee sports gambling in Nevada. The scandal involving DraftKings and FanDuel could bring calls for greater government oversight of the industry if not calls for an outright ban on the games.
Are you playing fantasy sports? How much are you putting up and what's your record? Email Ahiza Garcia and your story might be included in a CNNMoney article.
Every week, at least one player becomes my fascination of whether he's worthy of a fantasy football start or bench. The decision can be a mental wrestling match, but for the purpose of brevity, only one player can be chosen as the fantasy football gamble of the week.
Gambling On Fantasy Football Fantasy
The best fantasy football gamble for Week 10
Tracking my predictions: 4-4-1
Win: Player produces ≥ 80% of projected fantasy points
Loss: Player produces >80% of projected fantasy points
Tie: Player is ejected or leaves with an injury
I couldn't find a single player last week that deserved more than a lukewarm endorsement, so I settled on Seattle Seahawks TE Greg Olsen. Right position on the team, wrong player … Jacob Hollister, not Olsen, was the primary beneficiary of the matchup and situation, marking the first time all season in this space that my recommendations were wrong in consecutive weeks.
Rather than play it safe to avoid making it a hat trick of consecutively terrible calls, I'm going to place my bet on game flow and situational football taking over.
Cleveland Browns WR Rashard Higgins vs. Houston Texans
When the Browns lost Odell Beckham Jr. (knee) for the season in Week 7, Higgins stepped in cold and picked up the slack. He finished with six targets, as many receptions, and 110 yards. OBJ wasn't heavily involved in the offense to begin with, and this is a run-heavy system, so we're not looking at a massive volume of work to replace. That must be recognized off the bat — and it was, in part, on display in Week 8 when Higgins had the lineup spot all to himself. He saw three targets vs. Las Vegas, landing one for 14 yards. It's difficult to matter much when your team passes 25 times.
In Week 9, the Browns were on bye and had the time make the necessary adjustments that could benefit Higgins. Another factor working in his favor is the expected return of running back Nick Chubb, because his explosive nature keeps defenses honest, whereas Kareem Hunt is more of a grinding style of player who doesn't necessarily scare defensive coordinators with the prospects of ripping off a massive run each time he touches the ball.
Tight end Austin Hooper also is poised to return after missing action due to an appendectomy, and his position faces a bright matchup outlook vs. the Texans. That could potentially work against Higgins' volume, but it also presents yet another outlet for the defense to focus on.
Higgins, who scored in consecutive games as a role player prior to OBJ going down, has demonstrated chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield in the past. The two hooked up on four touchdowns in 2018, and Higgins amounted to somewhat of a safety blanket for the then-rookie passer during a season in which Jarvis Landry was the top receiver and Beckham wasn't on the roster. Sound familiar?
Houston has given up the seventh-highest average of PPR points to the position on the season, and in the last five weeks, the number jumps from 41.8 per game to 49.5, which is 30 percent more than the league average. Thirteen receivers in eight contests have posted 10 or more points in reception-rewarding scoring systems, and there have been six individual efforts with at least 75 yards. Ten receivers have produced five or more grabs against this unit.
My biggest concern about this situation is the offense could lean into the positive matchup for the running backs heavier than expected and we see a similar situation as in Week 8, when low volume was a fantasy death knell for Cleveland receivers. The reason why I feel this is mitigated vs. Houston is the Texans have the firepower to keep Cleveland in need of scoring points in a matchup that favors Houston's aerial game.
In a week where gamers are without Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill and Jamison Crowder, there has to be a willingness to take a chance on an underutilized player with a great matchup and extenuating factors working in his favor. Part of taking that gamble comes with the acceptance that some weeks you're rolling the dice on modest output and not a game-breaking performance.
In Week 9, the Browns were on bye and had the time make the necessary adjustments that could benefit Higgins. Another factor working in his favor is the expected return of running back Nick Chubb, because his explosive nature keeps defenses honest, whereas Kareem Hunt is more of a grinding style of player who doesn't necessarily scare defensive coordinators with the prospects of ripping off a massive run each time he touches the ball.
Tight end Austin Hooper also is poised to return after missing action due to an appendectomy, and his position faces a bright matchup outlook vs. the Texans. That could potentially work against Higgins' volume, but it also presents yet another outlet for the defense to focus on.
Higgins, who scored in consecutive games as a role player prior to OBJ going down, has demonstrated chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield in the past. The two hooked up on four touchdowns in 2018, and Higgins amounted to somewhat of a safety blanket for the then-rookie passer during a season in which Jarvis Landry was the top receiver and Beckham wasn't on the roster. Sound familiar?
Houston has given up the seventh-highest average of PPR points to the position on the season, and in the last five weeks, the number jumps from 41.8 per game to 49.5, which is 30 percent more than the league average. Thirteen receivers in eight contests have posted 10 or more points in reception-rewarding scoring systems, and there have been six individual efforts with at least 75 yards. Ten receivers have produced five or more grabs against this unit.
My biggest concern about this situation is the offense could lean into the positive matchup for the running backs heavier than expected and we see a similar situation as in Week 8, when low volume was a fantasy death knell for Cleveland receivers. The reason why I feel this is mitigated vs. Houston is the Texans have the firepower to keep Cleveland in need of scoring points in a matchup that favors Houston's aerial game.
In a week where gamers are without Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill and Jamison Crowder, there has to be a willingness to take a chance on an underutilized player with a great matchup and extenuating factors working in his favor. Part of taking that gamble comes with the acceptance that some weeks you're rolling the dice on modest output and not a game-breaking performance.
Gambling On Fantasy Football
My projection: 4 receptions, 63 yards, 1 TD (16.3 PPR points)
