Iowa daily fantasy sports legalisation bill clears first hurdle

The daily fantasy sports legalisation lobby in Iowa received a morale boost Thursday when a House sub-committee voted a legalisation bill forward after hearing testimony from experts and lobbyists.

DraftKings and FanDuel lobbyist John Cacciatore told panel members:

“There are hundreds of thousands of Iowans today who play season-long fantasy sports with their friends, neighbours and co-workers. Those same Iowans would like to also play daily fantasy sports which is basically in an online platform but that’s not allowed because, technically, fantasy sports is illegal in Iowa.”

The bill under discussion by the sub-committee provides that DFS activity in Iowa would only be legal if it was operated by a host licensed by the state to do so.

The measure permits state land casinos to take wagers on fantasy sports teams, but specialised DFS firms like FanDuel and DraftKings would have to apply for a state license, pay state taxes and be subject to oversight from state gambling regulators.

Religious groups have already voiced opposition to the proposal, claiming that it is gambling, and that gambling “.. is a menace to personal character and social morality.”

One land casino lobbyist opined in his testimony that DraftKings and FanDuel ultimately aim to “morph” into online sports betting sites.

He pointed to what happened last weekend as one site allowed “fantasy” teams to be assembled from NFL playoff game rosters — and said the other site plans to offer fantasy sports betting on the Super Bowl.

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