Capitol Hill Committee to discuss daily fantasy sports

The US House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce will this week debate the issues and perspectives of the country’s disputed daily fantasy sports (DFS) industry. According to Forbes, a hearing will take place on May 11 and feature input from a group of eight witnesses, each of which has a different background and opinions on the future of DFS in the US. A memorandum outlining the subject matter of the session says attendees will look at the four states that have passed legislation to legalise DFS and discuss why 10 states have opted to classify such activities as illegal. Those in attendance will also consider and discuss the four federal laws linked to DFS, including the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, which outlawed online gaming across the US, prior to new laws that enabled individual states to legalise internet gambling. The memorandum also states that the session will look at the current regulatory environment for DFS at both federal and state level, the key consumer protection issues for DFS operators, the technology solutions that exist in the market to ensure operators meet existing consumer protection obligations and the varying products offered by DFS brands and how they differ. “There have been varying responses to the growth of this marketplace from state legislatures, state Attorneys General, and state consumer protection regulators,” the memorandum said. “There is an ongoing debate in some states about whether or not the products offered by DFS operators fall within existing state gambling statutes. “The DFS industry maintains that their products are sports entertainment products based on skill and not gambling. “Other industries and government entities have challenged this position.” Related article: Alabama classes daily fantasy sports games as illegal