The line between daily fantasy sports (DFS) and actual sports betting has always been blurry, but Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell says some operators have blurred the line too much. Late last week, Campbell’s office sent letters to ten DFS operators cease-and-desist letters to ten DFS operators who it suspects of being more like sportsbooks than peer-to-peer fantasy sites.
The ten operators targeted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts include BoomFantasy OwnersBox, Parlay Play , RealTime Fantasy Sports, Sleeper, Splash Sports, Talid Sports, d/b/a Chalkboard Fantasy Sports, Two Nine Sports, d/b/a StatHero, Vivid Picks, and Yahoo! Daily Fantasy Sports. Underdog and PrizePicks were among the operators initially targeted, but both companies opted to change their models to peer-to-peer before the letters were sent out and were bypassed.
Accordingly, to ensure you are in compliance with Massachusetts laws, you must immediately cease and desist offering ‘pick’em,’ parlay, or any other games that are ‘sports wagering’ under our law. If you intend to restart offering such games, you must first obtain the required licensure pursuant to G.L. c. 23N, § 5. At the time of this letter, we are aware that two operators have voluntarily committed to cease their offers of such games in Massachusetts,” Campbell said in the letter.
Massachusetts Gaming Commission chair Cathy Judd-Stein supported Campbell in a statement reported on by Legal Sports Report saying, “To ensure a safe, legal and regulated sports wagering market, every operator in Massachusetts must play by the same rules. The Attorney General is a critical partner in these efforts as the MGC implements its regulations and takes action to disrupt and eradicate illegal sports wagering in the Commonwealth. We thank Attorney General Campbell for her leadership and partnership.”
DFS operators are increasingly under legal fire for looking more like unlicensed sportsbooks and similar actions are being taken by legal authorities in Florida and New York.