Report: Illinois May Legalize Daily Fantasy Sports After All
After a New York state judge ruled that daily fantasy sports were an illegal gambling operation, the Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan followed suit — literally — with an advisory opinion that argued the operations are illegal under Illinois law. Madigan also sought to combine two lawsuits against fantasy sports betting operations.
Popular fantasy sports sites like DraftKings and FanDuel take traditional fantasy sports leagues to a new level, and in 2015, the industry was scandalized by allegations of insider trading by DraftKings and FanDuel employees.
According to Legal Sports Report, there are three main legal issues at play in Illinois and Chicago:
- Whether the DFS contests offered by DraftKings and FanDuel fit within the statutory exemption for “bona fide contests for the determination of skill” under Section 28-1(b)(2) of the Illinois Criminal Code (a variation of the same issue was raised in the New York lawsuit).
- Whether the “entry fees” to enter the companies’ DFS contests constitute a “bet” under Illinois law.
- Whether the Illinois AG “selectively enforced” the law by singling out DFS for special punishment, while not targeting season-long contests that share many of the same characteristics.
While legal experts think that the daily fantasy sites face an uphill legal battle, Illinois lawmakers could sidestep the lawsuits altogether. This April, an Illinois House Judiciary Committee is considering a bill that would set regulations on daily fantasy sports contests. That makes Illinois just one of several states with such pending legislation in the works this year.
There are an estimated 1,511 legal casinos in the United States, but right now, Chicago residents who want to gamble have to travel to Indiana; however, there is a way to bring the casino to you.
Casino night fundraisers have long been popular corporate event themes. Typically, casino nights are held as fundraising events and corporate event themes for company parties. In a typical casino party, attendees can learn to play Las Vegas-style casino games like blackjack and poker, but without the risks (both monetary and legally) that come with gambling.
As far as corporate event themes go, casino nights are usually more fun than the typical office Christmas party. Professional casino dealers teach partygoers how to play the most popular Las Vegas games, and prizes are distributed to big winners. Not only are these fun party ideas for adults, but they’re a great way to raise money for a worthy cause.
So if you’re one of the 40 million people who play poker or one of the 10 million who visited a casino to play poker this year, then consider pitching a casino night for your next corporate event themes.
