Last gasp effort in Illinois to legalise DFS

The Illinois House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote today (Wednesday) on whether to progress Rep. Mike Zalewski’s Hoiuse Bill 4323 legalising daily fantasy sports in the state (see previous reports).

The bill contains provisions important for player protection such as prohibiting daily fantasy sports operator employees from competing in public competitions, and preventing players under age 21 from participating.

It calls for industry oversight and enforcement by the Illinois Gaming Board, which would have the power to impose fines on non-compliant operators.

Licensed operators would be required to pay revenue-based fees to the state.

Illinois lawmakers are acting despite an opinion from state Attorney General Lisa Madigan that DFS constitutes gambling and is illegal in Illinois (see previous reports). That triggered legal action from leading operators FanDuel and DraftKings.

There are concerns that the “macro political dynamic” in the Legislature, where Madigan’s father is House Speaker, could yet derail the proposal in the short time space it has to move forward.

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