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Fantasy Sports Would Not Be Subject To Gambling Laws Under New Proposal

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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) – A proposal filed on Wednesday by a House Republican would make clear fantasy sports games are not considered gambling under Florida laws.

The bill (HB 149), filed by Rep. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, comes after questions across the country about whether fantasy-sports contests are a form of gambling.

In fantasy sports, players draft rosters of actual athletes, with the winners of fantasy games determined by the statistics of the athletes.

Many games, like office pools, last all season.

But the questions about gambling have focused on online "daily" fantasy games offered by sites such as FanDuel and DraftKings.

Brodeur's bill, which is filed for the legislative session that starts March 7, would make clear that fantasy contests are not subject to Florida gambling laws and regulation by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which oversees the pari-mutuel industry.

The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.

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