Confused Vantiv seeks clarity over conflict between New York AG, DraftKings

Payment processing company Vantiv—like a child stuck in the middle of warring parents—is turning to the court for some much needed clarity on the controversy surrounding daily fantasy sports operators DraftKings and FanDuel.

The Greater Cincinnati-based company has filed a lawsuit asking the New York state Supreme Court to, essentially, intervene and decide whether it should go ahead with processing payments for DraftKings, the Cincinnati Business Courier reported.

Vantiv has been in charge of processing payments for daily fantasy sports firms operating in New York for years, until November last year, when New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman ordered DraftKings to stopped accepting bets from customers in the state. In his cease and desist orders to DFS operators, Schneiderman gave DraftKings and FanDuel five days to cut ties with an estimated 1.1 million customers the two operators deal with in New York.

According to the Business Courier report, Vantiv asked DraftKings to confirm the AG order, but the daily fantasy sports operator was able to get a temporary order, preventing Vantiv from stopping its payment processing services with DraftKings’ customers.