DFS illegal in Georgia, says Attorney Generalâs office
Letter sent to Georgia Lottery Corp says DFS meets the definition of illegal gambling under state law, Vermont Senate votes in favor of DFS billÂ
The office of the Attorney General in Georgia has become the latest to opine that daily fantasy sports (DFS) meets the definition of illegal gambling under state law, joining six other states that have reached the same conclusion in recent months. [private]
In a letter sent to the Georgia Lottery Corp, and obtained by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, deputy Attorney General Wright Banks Jr dismissed both the âskill gameâ and âactual contestant in a game of skillâ argument used by operators in other states.
âIn daily fantasy sports, a participant whose purported skill level has not changed from one game to the next is just as likely to win one tournament, then lose the next tournament due to the performance of players outside of the participantâs control,â the letter said.
And on the exclusion under Georgia law allowing prizes for âactual contestantsâ in a game of skill, Banks Jr said the purpose of the exclusion was to allow athletes competing in the sporting events to be awarded for their efforts.
â[â¦] not for people to receive compensation for betting on the outcome of those events of the performance of a particular athlete.
âFor the above reasons, it is my informal advice that daily fantasy sports are not authorized under Georgia law,â the letter concluded.
The letter does not constitute a âformal opinionâ like those issues in New York and Illinois, but has effectively scuppered legislation â SB 352 â seeking to explicitly legalize the activity in the state. The bill has now been dropped to the bottom of the Senate calendar.
Yesterday was the last day for bills from one chamber to advance to the other â known as cross-over day in the state â which in reality means the bill is dead for this legislative session.
The news comes after a bill seeking to legalize daily fantasy sports in Vermont passed out of the Senate and onto the House of Representatives for approval.
The bill, SB 223, was introduced in January by Senator Kevin Mullin and passed with a 19-6 vote in its favor.