Hawaii bill would legalize fantasy sports contest

“I don’t thing anyone wants to criminalize an activity that 3 million law abiding citizens are engaged in”, said Negron, who said he’s concerned that a 1991 Florida attorney general’s opinion could be interpreted as making all fantasy sports illegal. Chin outlined the definition of gambling for the state, which he said requires that people place bets on a chance occurrence or an event out of their control, … They would also be required to ensure that players are adults and weed out fraud.

Nevada has said fantasy sports companies can not operate in the state unless they receive gaming licenses. But she has yet to issue an opinion or discuss fantasy sports publicly. It also bars professional athletes and officials from playing.

If they are deemed games of chance, they may be illegal in California along with several other states where regulators have stepped in.

Howard Korman, CEO of Jacksonville Greyhound Racing, told the Senate Regulated Industries Committee that he was surprised by the state’s action after regulators came to his facility before they installed the machines and approved them.

The high-stakes debate is drawing attention well beyond the Capitol in the nation’s most populous state.

Referring to the ads, heard on Bay Area radio stations KNBR, KCBS and KGO, which he said cover an area from Fresno to the OR border, Levine called them “public bullying” that “should not be tolerated”. Gray’s ballot measure committee received a $5,000 contribution from DraftKings last week, the Associated Press reported.

According to the Attorney General’s office, almost sixty-million Americans participate in fantasy sports, with the vast majority playing in a league with friends or colleagues that might be considered “social gambling” which is legal in Hawaiʻi.

The industry says it has similar bills pending in more than two dozen states.

A first-of-its-kind bill to regulate the daily fantasy sports industry easily passed the California state Assembly Wednesday, despite questions over the legality of the flourishing activity.