Alabama may legalise DFS
After neighbour Arkansas legalised daily fantasy sports (DFS), Alamaba legislators are evaluating a regulation for the local market.
US.- Alabama could soon operate legal daily fantasy sports as State legislators decided to pass the bill. According to Biz Journals, the Alabama House of Representatives approved yesterday a gaming amendment to include daily fantasy sports under local regulations. The sector will still be considered as illegal until the Senate confirms the House approval.
Daily fantasy sports operations, licenses, taxes and conditions will be under the control of recently-created Alabama Advisory Council on Gaming. Following other federal states’ measures, regional officials are discussing whether daily fantasy sports represents a form of illegal gambling (based on luck) or if it offers betting tournaments based on players’ skills.
The vote held yesterday by the Alabama House members resulted in 43-38. The State’s Senate will review the potential law in the upcoming weeks. The House resolution was published one week later after neighbour state, Arkansas, became the 11th state to approve a complete regulation on the daily fantasy sports industry.
Last year, Alabama’s former Attorney General and now federal Senator Luther Strange sent a letter ordering American daily fantasy sports operators DraftKings and FanDuel to cease and desist their operations in the state. “Daily fantasy sports operators claim that they operate legally under Alabama law. However, paid daily fantasy sports contests are in fact illegal gambling under Alabama law,” had stated the Attorney General. In a move that changes the State’s position as to legal gaming, daily fantasy sports could soon be protected by laws.
