Category Archives: Fantasy Sports

Fantasy sports app claims to be legal in the U.S.

Have you heard of a fantasy sports game that doesn’t want your money but would like to give you some?

Canadian digital sports media company theScore has launched a new fantasy sports app, QuickDraft, which offers daily contests with real cash prizes but zero entry fees.

Meaning, this free-to-play game could survive the legal scrutiny that the fantasy sports is facing in Canada and the U.S. because players will not put their own money at risk even cash prizes are offered.

QuickDraft, a mobile-first game, allows users to draft line-ups of five athletes and compete for cash prizes of $100 to $1,000 for the daily winners. The app will first focus on NFL games with other major leagues coming soon. Entries are also limited to one per contest and the use of scripts (computer algorithms that allow participants to automate line-up edits) is prohibited.

Poker, Fantasy Sports and Chess

This is a guest contribution by Johnny Jaswal and Brian Thomas Hall, founding Partners of Jaswal Hall. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you.

As I sit here in the club lounge at the InterContinental Hotel, located in downtown Montreal, I can’t help but think about poker, fantasy sports and chess. Let me explain. My very first visit to the hotel was in the spring of 2008. This is when I met a man who proved to be very influential in my life, Mr. Cookie Lazarus; a mentor and dear friend, and a notable and influential player in the online gaming business. I was 29 years old, graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School and ready to take on the world. I had a background in online gaming and a small network of associates and friends in the business. I arrived at Cookie’s office in my fresh suit and tie, which I bought the week before. I didn’t know it at the time but the ride I was about to go on would send me around the world and introduce me to amazing people, all alongside the best mentor and friend a young lawyer could ask for.

We were in the mix of it. Online gaming was hot and we lived and breathed it. The clients were fun, young and energetic. We were advising internet entertainment companies that were breaking traditions and rules, and driving change. Poker was the hottest thing on the scene. Every time you turned on the television, you would almost certainly see advertisements, programs or mentions of poker, which were sponsored, created and distributed by the major online poker sites, PokerStars, Ultimate Bet/Absolute Poker and Full Tilt Poker. All three companies where doing business in the US market on the legal theory that poker is a skill-based game and thus permissible in the US. However, in what has become an interesting pattern in US policy, significant energy and resources were expended to halt an activity the US populace would undertake regardless of legal status. The owners of the biggest online poker sites, PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Ultimate Bet/Absolute Poker, were indicted and the sites were shut down in the US after the FBI ceased domains on allegations that the sites laundered money and defrauded banks to get around gambling laws (“Black Friday”). The US had made good on its undertakings on online gambling as stated by former attorney general Janet Reno, “you can’t hide online and you can’t hide offshore” (despite the broad statement, which is overreaching, there are various accessible betting websites based in communities like the Kahnawake Mohawk territory in Quebec and the Caribbean, and opportunities exist in the US and abroad under proper structures). In my opinion, similar to the American experience with prohibition, US gambling laws will offer boundless opportunities for criminals to profit off of the legal status of poker while the losers will be the general public looking for an arguably legitimate outlet. This situation, in my opinion, favours a world where the activity is legalized, regulated and taxed like any other legitimate indulgence.

Returning to my story, I went from being fresh and green and in the midst of the exponentially growing poker world, to a post-Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (“UIGEA”) world. Now, seven years later, the hotel has been refurbished, the lounge is on the lobby floor, I am no longer fresh and green, and I am a partner in a legal and investment banking advisory firm, Jaswal Hall. I have learned to analyze fact patterns, anticipate issues and apply my experience. One pattern that does not cease is the constant search for legal ambiguities. In my world, one such instance is the emergence of fantasy sports, which has significant but legal businesses controlled by DraftKings and FanDuel. Fantasy sports, predominantly due to it being classified as a game of skill, was exempted from UIGEA. Fantasy Sports has been backed by almost all major sporting leagues, NFL team owners are among the equity owners in operators and the industry, like ghosts of poker past, has become a mainstream social outlet (one only has to look at the success of the television show The League, a comedy about a group of friends in a fantasy football league).

Poker, Fantasy Sports and Chess

This is a guest contribution by Johnny Jaswal and Brian Thomas Hall, founding Partners of Jaswal Hall. If you would like to submit a contribution please contact Bill Beatty for submission details. Thank you.

As I sit here in the club lounge at the InterContinental Hotel, located in downtown Montreal, I can’t help but think about poker, fantasy sports and chess. Let me explain. My very first visit to the hotel was in the spring of 2008. This is when I met a man who proved to be very influential in my life, Mr. Cookie Lazarus; a mentor and dear friend, and a notable and influential player in the online gaming business. I was 29 years old, graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School and ready to take on the world. I had a background in online gaming and a small network of associates and friends in the business. I arrived at Cookie’s office in my fresh suit and tie, which I bought the week before. I didn’t know it at the time but the ride I was about to go on would send me around the world and introduce me to amazing people, all alongside the best mentor and friend a young lawyer could ask for.

We were in the mix of it. Online gaming was hot and we lived and breathed it. The clients were fun, young and energetic. We were advising internet entertainment companies that were breaking traditions and rules, and driving change. Poker was the hottest thing on the scene. Every time you turned on the television, you would almost certainly see advertisements, programs or mentions of poker, which were sponsored, created and distributed by the major online poker sites, PokerStars, Ultimate Bet/Absolute Poker and Full Tilt Poker. All three companies where doing business in the US market on the legal theory that poker is a skill-based game and thus permissible in the US. However, in what has become an interesting pattern in US policy, significant energy and resources were expended to halt an activity the US populace would undertake regardless of legal status. The owners of the biggest online poker sites, PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Ultimate Bet/Absolute Poker, were indicted and the sites were shut down in the US after the FBI ceased domains on allegations that the sites laundered money and defrauded banks to get around gambling laws (“Black Friday”). The US had made good on its undertakings on online gambling as stated by former attorney general Janet Reno, “you can’t hide online and you can’t hide offshore” (despite the broad statement, which is overreaching, there are various accessible betting websites based in communities like the Kahnawake Mohawk territory in Quebec and the Caribbean, and opportunities exist in the US and abroad under proper structures). In my opinion, similar to the American experience with prohibition, US gambling laws will offer boundless opportunities for criminals to profit off of the legal status of poker while the losers will be the general public looking for an arguably legitimate outlet. This situation, in my opinion, favours a world where the activity is legalized, regulated and taxed like any other legitimate indulgence.

Returning to my story, I went from being fresh and green and in the midst of the exponentially growing poker world, to a post-Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (“UIGEA”) world. Now, seven years later, the hotel has been refurbished, the lounge is on the lobby floor, I am no longer fresh and green, and I am a partner in a legal and investment banking advisory firm, Jaswal Hall. I have learned to analyze fact patterns, anticipate issues and apply my experience. One pattern that does not cease is the constant search for legal ambiguities. In my world, one such instance is the emergence of fantasy sports, which has significant but legal businesses controlled by DraftKings and FanDuel. Fantasy sports, predominantly due to it being classified as a game of skill, was exempted from UIGEA. Fantasy Sports has been backed by almost all major sporting leagues, NFL team owners are among the equity owners in operators and the industry, like ghosts of poker past, has become a mainstream social outlet (one only has to look at the success of the television show The League, a comedy about a group of friends in a fantasy football league).

Radio host goes nuts over fantasy sports as a game of skill

Sports radio host Mike Francesa went berserk on an argument whether fantasy sports is a game of skill or chance.

During Francesa’s WFAN radio show, Assemblyman Dean Murray called in to give him an update on a public hearing held by New York Assembly on Tuesday, which offered insights on the future of DFS in the Empire State.

Lawyers and lobbyist from the fantasy sports industry, during the hearing, insisted, that daily fantasy sports is predominantly based on player’s skill, not luck.

Chairman of the Assembly Committee J. Gary Pretlow, who also leads the committee on Racing and Wagering, said that although the lawmakers’ stand on fantasy sports will depend on the outcome of the lawsuit between New York AG Eric Schneiderman and fantasy sports major operators DraftKings and Fanduel, New York will legalize and regulate daily fantasy sports.

Longtime Yahoo Exec To Lead STATS

@thedailypayoff
Longtime Yahoo executive Ken Fuchs is moving to Stats LLC to serve as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer, replacing Gary Walrath. Since Vista acquired Stats in mid-2014, it has made five strategic acquisitions including BSports, The Sports Network, TVTI, Automated Insights and Prozone. As a global Vice President at Yahoo, Fuchs served in various product and media leadership roles including oversight of Yahoo Sports, Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Entertainment and strategic partnerships.

“For 34 years STATS has been a pioneer in sports technology, data and content. As technology and innovation continue to transform the experience of sports fans around the world at an ever increasing pace I am thrilled to join the STATS team and build upon STATS’ legacy of leadership as we enter this next chapter,” said Fuchs.

While DFS Faces Big Challenges In NY, AGA Announces Partnership To Fight Illegal Gambling

While DFS Faces Big Challenges In NY, AGA Announces Partnership To Fight Illegal Gambling
 
While FanDuel and DraftKings received a major blow from the New York State Attorney General Tuesday night, the American Gaming Association (AGA) announced a new initiative with the FBI to combat Illegal  Gambling as it is now understood in the U.S.
 
The release:As part of the American Gaming Association’s “Stop Illegal Gambling – Play it Safe” initiative, the nation’s top law enforcement and national security agency and the casino gaming industry are cooperating to combat illegal gambling in the United States by touting the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The online tool is a vehicle for the public to report tips and complaints pertaining to online crimes.
 
“Our effort with the FBI will help us make significant headway in the fight against illegal gambling,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the AGA. “In particular, the Internet Crime Complaint Center will be an invaluable tool for people in every state to report tips about the multi-billion dollar illegal gambling sector that preys on consumers, steals jobs and deprives state and local governments of revenues generated by the legal, regulated casino gaming industry.”
 
“Establishing and maintaining strong partnerships with public and private industry counterparts is essential in combating illegal gambling,” said J. Chris Warrener, Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This joint initiative leverages the Internet Crime Complaint Center network to address transnational organized crime groups that use illegal gambling, most notably internet sports gambling, as a means to finance other forms of violent and illicit activities.”
 
The IC3 is the FBI’s national platform for receiving information on any cyber-affiliated crime. The IC3 accepts cyber-facilitated crime complaints from either the actual victim or from a third party to the complainant. The tool allows detailed information to be easily submitted. Those wishing to report an illegal gambling tip may do so here: http://www.ic3.gov/.
 
Earlier this year, AGA formed its Illegal Gambling Advisory Board as part of its “Stop Illegal Gambling – Play it Safe” initiative. The Board is composed of: Tim Murphy, former deputy director of the FBI (chair); Ed Davis, former Boston police commissioner; Bill Young, former Clark County Sheriff and head of Las Vegas Metro Police Department, current senior vice president of compliance and security at Station Casinos; James Dinkins, former executive associate director at Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; and J.B. Van Hollen, former Wisconsin State attorney general, U.S. attorney, and district attorney.
 
A report released by AGA in September and conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University’s Dr. Jay S. Albanese details the strong ties between illegal gambling operations and organized crime organizations in the U.S. The prevalence of illegal gambling has been so significant that, in 2014 alone, 80 operators in 23 states were convicted at the federal level of running illegal gambling businesses.
 
The AGA’s illegal gambling initiative, which Freeman launched in April in Biloxi, Mississippi, focuses on four key areas of illegal gambling: illegal sports betting; black market machines; Internet sweepstakes cafes; and illegal online betting. The initiative seeks to distinguish the highly regulated, $240 billion legal gaming industry—which supports 1.7 million jobs and generates $38 billion in taxes across 40 states—from the criminal networks that rely on illegal gambling to fund violent crimes and drug and human trafficking.

BREAKING NEWS: NY BANS DAILY FANTASY SPORTS

Attorney General Tells Daily Fantasy Sports to Stop Taking Bets in New York

The New York State attorney general on Tuesday ordered the two biggest daily fantasy sports companies, DraftKings and FanDuel, to stop accepting bets from New York residents, saying their games constituted illegal gambling under state law.

The cease-and-desist order by the attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, is a major blow to a multibillion-dollar industry that introduced sports betting to legions of young sports fans and has formed partnerships with many of the nation’s professional sports teams. Given the New York attorney general’s historic role as a consumer-protection advocate, legal experts said the action will most likely reverberate in other states where legislators and investigators are increasingly questioning whether the industry should operate unfettered by regulations that govern legalized gambling.

In 2006, Congress tried to crack down on illegal online sports betting. Today, Internet wagering is thriving, and a new business that resembles gambling, fantasy sports, is winning millions of players and stoking controversy. The Times, with the PBS series “Frontline,” investigated illegal gambling in the Internet age.
Fantasy sports companies contend that their games are not gambling because they involve more skill than luck and were legally sanctioned by a 2006 federal law that exempted fantasy sports from a prohibition against processing online financial wagering. That view is increasingly being challenged as fantasy sites have begun offering million-dollar prizes and bets on individual sports, such as golf, mixed martial arts and Nascar races, magnifying the element of chance and making the exemption more difficult to defend.

On Tuesday afternoon, as news of the attorney general’s order began to trickle out, DraftKings sent an email to its players, saying, “Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is considering preventing New Yorkers from playing daily fantasy sports,” and added: “Hey, New York, protect your right to keep playing daily fantasy sports. Contact the attorney general today!”

Sabrina Macias, a spokeswoman for DraftKings, said, “We’re disappointed he hasn’t taken the time to meet with us or ask any questions about our business model before his opinion.” She said the company had 500,000 users in New York State.

Eric Soufer, a spokesman for the attorney general, disputed Ms. Macias’s account, and said the attorney general’s office had multiple meetings with representatives from DraftKings before the order was issued.In a statement, FanDuel said: “Fantasy sports is a game of skill and legal under New York state law. This is a politician telling hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers they are not allowed to play a game they love and share with friends, family, co-workers and players across the country.”

 

READ MORE AT ORIGINAL SOURCE: NYTIMES

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/11/sports/football/draftkings-fanduel-new-york-attorney-general-tells-fantasy-sites-to-stop-taking-bets-in-new-york.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

FanDuel Joins The UK Play

FanDuel Joins The UK Play
The line between gambling and daily pay fantasy may have clouded again in recent days as FanDuel joined FraftKings in applying for a gambling license in the U.K. The join the leader in the European pay fantasy business, Mondogoal, in having legal betting opportunities in the UK. The plan is to launch a European product in 2016 and is a departure from their long-talked about business of staying U.S. focused on football and the NBA.
“I think it’s an interesting proposition,” CEO Nigel Eccles said. “Candidly, we’re going to test the waters, but it’s an unknown. Everyone needs to prove that there is a market outside the U.S.”
“It may not even be a daily fantasy product. I told the guys, come to me with a skill-based product in the U.K. that you think will work,” said Eccles. “We think that sports is universal, but the way people engage with sports is different, and the right game for them might be different in every country.”
FanDuel’s first entry into a regulated gambling market comes on the heels of Eccles’s acknowledging that the days of unregulated fantasy sports in the U.S. are almost over. There’s some question about whether the economics of fantasy sports will work once regulation cuts into the profit margins. Mondogoal says it pays 15 percent of its gross revenue in the U.K. in taxes and that about 20 percent of its costs go to regulatory expenses.

DraftKings Expands Soccer Offering, teams With OPTA For Data

DraftKings Expands Soccer Offering, teams With OPTA For Data
DraftKingshas teamed up with sports data provider Opta to supply all its live soccer performance statistics, a big step in their engagement in the sport.
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Opta will provide live data coverage for all three leagues that DraftKings currently offers; Major League Soccer, Barclays Premier League and UEFA Champions League.
As well as Opta providing data going forward, historical statistics have also been added to improve the current game.
“DraftKings partnership with Opta marks one of many steps we are taking to adapt our product as we work to serve and excite new audiences around the world,” said DraftKings vice president of games, Mark Nerenberg. “Opta’s renowned sports data and analysis capabilities will enhance our games, making them more dynamic for our fans and further establish our offerings as the true leader in DFS.”
Perform VP content, North America, Angus McNabs added: “The daily fantasy space has shown some real innovation in recent times and we are delighted to be working with DraftKings, one of the leaders in this field. I am looking forward to continuing this relationship and giving their fans the best possible experience.”

SignalShare Joins DraftKings Team

SignalShare Joins DraftKings Team
 
Consumer engagement solutions provider SignalShare announced a new partnership with DraftKings that will see the daily fantasy company tap into stadiums’ wireless networks to place content in front of fans on their mobile devices during the game. The partnership will see DraftKings ads placed in front of every event participant who logs on to its network during these sporting events.

Marino, Montana To Host World Fantasy Championship

Marino, Montana To Host World Fantasy Championship
 
FanDuel announced that Pro Football Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Dan Marino will serve as hosts of the 2015 World Fantasy Football Championship weekend in San Diego on Dec. 12-13. The WFFC consists of 120 fantasy players who will compete in a one-day league vying for the first place prize of $3 million. “Joe Montana and Dan Marino are hands down two of the most recognizable players in the history of football. By bringing them together for the FanDuel World Fantasy Football Championship, we’re offering an experience that our users wouldn’t have access to otherwise. The finalists will have the opportunity to test their skills with two of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play and then come back the next day to compete for FanDuel’s largest payout to date of $3 million.” said Nigel Eccles, CEO of FanDuel.

DraftKings and FanDuel, Where Did The Ads Go?

DraftKings and FanDuel, Where Did The Ads Go?
@thedailypayoff

If you were one of the millions watching the National and American league Championship Series last week, you couldn’t miss the perpetual ads for FanDuel and DraftKings? Were they touting baseball, which was winding down to a precious few games and really had little opportunity for even daily fantasy play with the World Series on the horizon? Nope, it was all about football. The natural assumption, given the buying patterns past, would be that the big audience watching the Mets and Royals in the World Series would have much of the same, lining the pockets of Fox salespeople and continuing the big event drumbeat that the two biggest players in daily fantasy sports have kept going.

The result? Almost nothing. Watching the World Series, you would think DFS had been wiped from the broadcast advertising world; no ads, no billboards, no credits, no nothing. Except for maybe one or two random spots that were seen, DK and FD said adios to baseball. Was it planned, or was it in response to the criticism the industry had been received in the past month, criticism that has brought largely unwanted political attention to DFS in particular.

“Our strategy on advertising was to have a strong presence in the market for the two weeks prior to the start of the season and the first week of the season. Since then, we’ve been scaling back every week and we plan to continue to do so,” said Janet Holian, DraftKings’ chief marketing officer, in a statement in the Wall Street Journal on October 20. DK did finish their promotion for subscribers to go to the World Series, part of their partnership with Major League Baseball, and there was some in-stadium digital signage in both Kansas City and New York, but other than that, crickets in the Fall Classic.

Will the big spends come back as football heats up? Or is the heat in the industry having an effect that is hitting the advertising world hard? Is a cold turkey stop the norm, especially with football going strong and FanDuel’s second-most targeted sport, basketball, just getting going? Some found the quick and sudden shutoff more than a bit questionable.

“Taper down is one thing but to go from a full out blitz that was getting negative feedback in the business community to total radio silence during the biggest and most visible week of the year is very strange,” said Ray Katz, a well=regarded sports marketing executive and professor at Columbia University. “In the NLCS and ALCS their ads (DraftKings and FanDuel) for football where everywhere. I think it is much more a result of the negative battle they are now in the midst of and the thought that staying quiet is better than continuing to boast about massive payouts and spend through massive cash outlays when both companies are embroiled in controversy. If I’m selling sports I’m sure I’m not too happy that the spigot has suddenly gone dry, and I will be interested to see when it is turned back on. It looks like future investments may be on hold until things get a little more clearer on the business front.”

In reality both companies have kept up a smaller but still visible radio presence on outlets like Sirius XM, and DraftKings just completed an extensive onsite activation platform at the NFL London Games. FanDuel continues to do it’s in-market programs with its NFL partners, and a look at the start of the NBA season can still find signage of both companies on display in arenas. But the steady and expensive stream of ads that ran one after the next throughout every big game and event? They seem to have been removed from the marketing spend, at least for now.

How the curtailing of the ad spend has effected play and performance remains to be seen for the long run. According to for the fifth consecutive week both DraftKings and FanDuel posted positive net revenue for their NFL guaranteed prize pool contests, even though the website SuperLobby also said FanDuel to lowered the guarantee for its headliner Sunday Million contest for NFL Week 9.

There is no doubt that the lobbying and posturing for DFS will go on for some time, as politicians continue their investigations into all areas of gaming, pay fantasy and gambling. For the short term, keeping those ads to entice casual players away from the widest audience in a large scale might be the best marketing the two heaviest hitters can do for the business.

Commissioners: fantasy sports not gambling but needs regulation

Three US major sports league commissioners all agreed to one thing: daily fantasy sports is not gambling.

In an interview on ESPN’s Mike and Mike, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has maintained his position on fantasy sports as not gambling but suggested the fantasy organizations should have an appropriate safeguards in place “to ensure that things are fair and that fans who engage on these platforms have an opportunity to win.”

Manfred also added that he is comfortable with the legality of the games that are being offered by DraftKings as the federal law has created a certain landscape for fantasy sports.

DraftKings has become the official daily fantasy game of MLB and has extended its sponsorship with the league’s 27 team and according to Manfred fantasy sports has given the league the fan engagement that it needed.

Commissioners: fantasy sports not gambling but needs regulation

Three US major sports league commissioners all agreed to one thing: daily fantasy sports is not gambling.

In an interview on ESPN’s Mike and Mike, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has maintained his position on fantasy sports as not gambling but suggested the fantasy organizations should have an appropriate safeguards in place “to ensure that things are fair and that fans who engage on these platforms have an opportunity to win.”

Manfred also added that he is comfortable with the legality of the games that are being offered by DraftKings as the federal law has created a certain landscape for fantasy sports.

DraftKings has become the official daily fantasy game of MLB and has extended its sponsorship with the league’s 27 team and according to Manfred fantasy sports has given the league the fan engagement that it needed.

Police Thyself Fantasy Sports

Police Thyself Fantasy Sports

Can the Fantasy Sports Industry police itself? The answer appears to be we are going to try with some outside help. As broken by Bloomberg’s Scott Soshnick today, The Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA), announced today that it will form the Fantasy Sports Control Agency (FSCA) and appoint Former Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Seth D. Harris to chair the independent agency charged with creating a strict, transparent and effective system of self-regulation for the businesses that comprise the fantasy sports industry.

According to the press release:

The FSCA will be empowered by the FSTA to create a system consisting of four principal parts:

Standards: Develop a system of standards for the fantasy sports industry founded on transparency, integrity and ethical behavior.

Company Controls, Processes, and Leadership: Every FSTA member company will be expected to respond to the FSCA’s standards by establishing a system of controls and processes to ensure compliance. In addition, every member company will be expected to appoint a senior leader reporting to top executives and overseeing compliance efforts.
Auditing Policies and Procedures: Implementation of a sound, regular auditing process to measure and report on company compliance.

Enforcement: Establishment of a system that provides incentives and public recognition for compliance with FSCA guidelines and penalties for failure to comply.

“The issues and opportunities facing the fantasy sports industry can be best addressed through an independent agency supported by the industry and its members,” said Secretary Harris in the release. “The FSTA will continue to work closely with state and federal lawmakers and regulators as we develop and implement strong integrity programs. We are confident that an independent control agency can prevent any unethical, dishonest, or unfair behavior. In the process, we can save lawmakers and regulators the cost and effort of intervening so that they can expend their limited resources on bigger and more societally important challenges.”

The announcement comes after the entire industry has been under fire for a series of improprieties surrounding the two biggest players in the space, FanDuel and DraftKings, who allegedly had select employees using information obtained to increase their chances of winning. This caused all involved with fantasy sports to come under fire from elected officials in numerous states who questioned the legality of Daily Pay Fantasy vs. sports gambling. Questions remain as to whether all fantasy companies, who do not have to be FSTA members to operate, will abide by the coming standards and practices, but it is a strong step in the right direction for clarity and uniformity, and brings a level of professionalism to the industry which has seen unprecedented growth in the past two to three years.

The Three Takeaways From Hashtag Sports first-ever Hashtag Sports Fest

The Three Takeaways From Hashtag Sports

Last week, Hashtag Sports hosted its first-ever Hashtag Sports Fest, drawing digital leaders from across the country to the new Brooklyn Expo Center in New York City. The conference was a change from the traditional sports conference; it reflected the venue with a younger, more fluid vibe replete with food trucks and dunking basketballs, but the professionalism was certainly not lost.

1.Storytelling Is Priority One; But It has To Be Organized

“Our goal is deep storytelling with athletes that compliments the media landscape elsewhere,” said Jaymee Messler, CEO of The Players Tribune in their afternoon panel on how they continue to evolve as a platform. Messler’s thoughts were echoed on other panels throughout the two day event.

“You have to be able to communicate your messages in a coherent feed, not as one offs for everything to be effective,” added Twitter’s Danny Keens. “The continuity of the messages is what will make for successful engagement.

A narrative is nice, an organized narrative is what works.

2. Mobile Is Where The Money Is Going, Or Should Be.

Whether it was in questions about connectivity with the Barclays Center or how Bleacher Report engages fans, it was clear that mobile usage by teams leagues and brands is turning into priority one. “Before we post any story we look at how it plays out in mobile,” added USA Today’s Jamie Mottram, one of the co-founders of “For The Win.” “Of it doesn’t play well on a mobile device then we are doing it wrong.”

Keens, head of sports partnerships at Twitter, added that 90% of the video posted on the social-media platform is consumed on mobile devices. The engagement level was similar, if not bigger at Bleacher Report, where GM Dorth Raphaely noted that 80% of his site’s traffic comes from mobile and, at peak sports moments especially where consumption is with a younger audience, could go as high as 90-85 percent.

The days of the desktop first are gone.

3. eSports Entice

“You can engage a young audience at a fraction of the dollar engagement of traditional sports,” said Dan Ciccone of rEvXP. “For brands looking to find a way in, that’s really impressive and if done right, can be very powerful.” The combination of immersive experiences like Virtual Reality will also play a key factor according to some speakers. “We look at the clear picture and the crisp sound that we have created with a cardboard device connected to your phone, and you see what the possibilities are going to be going forward,” said Danny Glantz, head of AIG’s sponsorship marketing program when talking about their Rugby World Cup experience, the HAKA360.

While few could talk exactly to how brands can engage and to what extent, it was clear that eSports of today is what MMA and X Games were 10 years ago.

Storytelling through a mobile environment with a cohesive message; great points to take away from two solid days.

#FantasyFootball – The Waiver Wire is Your Best Friend

by Tony Samboras

There is very little difference between playing fantasy football for cold hard cash and wagering on NFL games. Participants are constantly on the troll for the best sports betting system and best betting strategies, looking for that key advantage. One of the key differences is fantasy sports participants take it down to the player’s level.

 

Getting It Wrong

When wagering on sports, you have one shot to be right. You get it wrong and you lose immediately. This is even true when you place a futures wager on winning the Super Bowl or on the number of wins a team will have in a season. When participating in fantasy football leagues, you are afforded opportunities to make adjustments as the season progresses. These adjustments are made through trade or through the use of the waiver wire. The reality is most people can derive very little benefit from a trade since most trades will trend towards being balanced. With the waiver wire, you can make strategic decisions that can literally turn your season around. That makes the waiver wire your best friend.

 

Understanding Your League’s Waiver Rules

Claiming players from waivers is not always as easy a picking up one player and releasing another. Each league has a set protocol on how waivers will be treated. In some leagues, it might be first-come-first-serve while in others a priority system is in place to dictate who gets who and when. There might even be a bidding system for the acquisition of players on waivers. As a manager, it is very important for you to understand your league’s rules in order to maximize your ability to use the waiver wire effectively.

 

When to Seek Refuge From Waivers

Obviously, injured players need to be replaced. That much is clear. It’s when managers need to start looking at player performance that mistakes get made. As a manager, you don’t have the luxury of holding onto players who aren’t producing. You have to be willing to face the facts (stats) and make decisions accordingly. A slumping player is a slumping player whether he was an All-Pro last year or a bench warmer. How many times have you seen a starting quarterback go down and the team’s wide receivers take a big hit to their stats? When it becomes evident a player’s level of contribution will not serve your needs, it’s time to admit the mistake and start looking for players who are available and have been making the kinds of contributions that will bolster your team.

 

What to Look for From the Waiver Wire

As a good manager, you eyes should be pinned to the waiver list. Of course, everyone is looking for the players who have a breakout week, but caution is warranted. One game does not make a streak. Even if a player does breakout, your priority number or bidding power might put you behind several other managers who are seeing the same thing. The way you get an advantage is by looking for players who are trending upwards. Perhaps they started the season on the bench. An injury or two gets them playing time and they start getting involved in the offense. Bam! That’s the guy you want. You might be one injury away from having a top 10 performer at a given position. It’s far better to carry a couple of these types of players than to carry starters who statistically rank towards the bottom of their position.

 

By applying the concepts behind using the best sports betting system or some of the best betting strategies, you can learn to become a better fantasy sports manager. The key to success is learning to see what other don’t see and using that to your advantage. Remember this; More than a few leagues have been won because of waiver wire acquisitions.

 

FanDuel and DraftKings scandal: Fantasy Sports Employees Bet at Rival Sites Using Inside Information

@thedailypayoff

A major scandal is erupting in the multibillion dollar industry of fantasy sports, the online and unregulated business in which players assemble their fantasy teams with real athletes. On Monday, the two major fantasy companies were forced to release statements defending their businesses’ integrity after what amounted to allegations of insider trading, that employees were placing bets on information not available to the public.

Last week, a DraftKings employee admitted to inadvertently releasing data before the start of the third week of N.F.L. games, a move akin to insider trading in the stock market. The employee – a midlevel content manager — won $350,000 at rival site FanDuel that same week.

The incident has raised questions about who at daily fantasy companies has access to valuable data, how it is protected and whether the industry can — or wants — to police itself.

The leagues have been swelling in popularity, their advertisements blanketing football game broadcasts.

Continue reading more at source.

Full credit to source: New York Times accessed here http://nyti.ms/1LcSdTy

Ex Comish Stern “All In” For Legal Gambling Push

Ex Comish Stern “All In” For Legal Gambling Push

“Let’s go all the way.” Not something you sometimes expect a 70 something year old man with a new hip to say and raise eyebrows, but there it was, former NBA Commissioner David Stern’s bold statement live and on stage Thursday morning before a full house at the Liberty Theater in Times Square.

Stern, along with Monumental Sports founder Ted Leonsis were two of the key speakers as part of a content packed session hosed by New York Venture Capital Sports as part of Advertising Week, and the ex-Comish was in full speculation mode in his 45 minute discussion with media consultant Shelley Palmer. Stern, now working with on many digital startup projects with Greycroft Partners , has usually passed off opinion on the issue of sports gambling to his more vocal successor on the subject, Adam Silver, but on this morning the comish laid it all on the table.

The recent scrutiny being brought to the loophole of DFS and the growing league partnerships, he said, makes it clear that gambling on sports is becoming more and more of a certainty, and with that, he is now more bullish than ever on full Federal-regulated legalized gambling than at any point when he served as commissioner. With FanDuel aligned with the NBA and now the NFLPA able to offer likeness endorsements to players for DraftKings, the blurring of lines between sports leagues and at least daily pay fantasy is getting less clear, and the move to bring actual gambling vs. just pay fantasy, would be a win for all.

As has been clearly stated for several years the overturning of Federal law to move the process is being challenged but not successfully to date, and now with Rep. Frank Pallone from New Jersey calling for inquiries into the legality of DFS Washington is now more actively looking at the best, and most effective path to reining in the overall industry. Most officials feel that full legalization is still years away, but having the current, and now ex-NBA Commissioner both publicly on board certainly makes the conversation louder.

NFLPA Goes Deep For Its Fantasy Play

NFLPA Goes Deep For Its Fantasy Play
@TheDailyPayoff

Less than six months ago, any mention of the NFL and official partnerships with any DFS company was brought with a deafening silence. Little to no official capacity existed with the bigger players, DraftKings and FanDuel, and no teams were actively engaged (albeit Kraft Sports group did have a stake in Boston-based DK). The response from the NFL continued to be wait and see.

Now as we head toward the fourth week of the NFL season, the field has changed, with big dollars flowing for all NFL properties, from teams and broadcast, now to players. As reported on numerous sites Tuesday, NFL Players Inc., the NFLPA’s marketing and licensing arm, has signed a group licensing partnership with DraftKings, which will allow some high-profile players to participate in the daily fantasy site’s marketing efforts. The agreement will allow DraftKings the right to employ active NFL players for in-product and promotional campaigns across print, social media, digital and mobile.

DraftKings VP/Business Development Jeremy Elbaum in a statement said, “To feature NFL players as part of our marketing efforts adds a level of excitement and connectivity to the game that is a huge win for us and our community.”

While neither side could point to an exact dollar amount, the deal is a landmark change in stance, another one, that will put added revenue directly to players who can be in uniform and be referenced in the promotions. The Patriots Ron Gronkowski is the first player on board, and certainly won’t be the last. The deal also shows the larger marketing spend now available to the NFLPA, as they left their previous partnership with smaller service DailyMVP to join DraftKings.

The deal also represents a continued football yin and yang, as a majority of the teams in the NFL have one year marketing deals with FanDuel, something which will may create even more confusion in the consumer marketplace as teams can be marketing one deal while players engage in a competitors product. It also will be an interesting test to see if the other Player’s Associations will also come on board, although at this point the NBAPA does not yet control player licensing rights like the NFLPA and the MLBPA has.

What is not confusing is that DFS and the NFL is front and center, and those one year” look and see” deals the NFL have imposed will be escalating as long as the dollars remain flowing.