Alabama classes daily fantasy sports games as illegal
Alabama has become the latest US state to declare paid-for daily fantasy sports (DFS) games as illegal, with Attorney General Luther Strange announcing that all operators must end activities in the state.
According to various reports in the US, Strange has sent cease-and-desist letters to operators after reviewing the state’s gambling statutes.
DFS operators currently active in Alabama have until May 1 to stop offering paid fantasy sports contests to consumers in the state.
“As Attorney General, it is my duty to uphold Alabama law, including the laws against illegal gambling,” Strange said in a statement.
“DFS operators claim that they operate legally under Alabama law; however, paid DFS contests are in fact illegal gambling under Alabama law.”
Current Alabama law states that an activity or service qualifies as gambling if a player stakes something of values on a contest of chance, even if skill is involved, to win a prize.
In his statement, Strange noted that there is a certain skill involved in creating a roster of real-life athletes for fantasy sports contests, but players do not have any control over their players’ performance of if they are injured and have to miss a game.
Strange’s ruling means that a total of 12 states across the US have now declared paid-for DFS as illegal.
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