Former Ontario DFS operators team up on lobbying group
US sports betting operators target Canadian province in effort to reverse DFS prohibition
A US-based lobbying group backed by some of the biggest names in daily fantasy sports (DFS) has begun a campaign attempting to force a change in rules on the vertical in the Canadian province of Ontario.
The advocacy group Fantasy Sports For All, which aims to serve as a “collaboration between daily fantasy providers” counts DFS heavyweights FanDuel and DraftKings among its supporters.
Other supporters include DFS influencers and the group Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association (FSGA).
The group has previously operated in states across the US, actively soliciting for players in states to contact their local government officials and advising them of their interest in DFS, with the aim of encouraging officials not to introduce legislation banning the vertical.
Previous campaigns have been held in other states including Hawaii, Connecticut, Florida, New York, and Arizona, with the group setting up a contact page in each state where people can contact their officials and advertising across social media platforms including Twitter.
Hey Ontario! Are you upset you can't play paid fantasy contests with your favorite operators for this weekend's NFL games? Send a message to your elected officials and tell them to bring fantasy sports back to Ontario! https://t.co/2c1kuIpoR5 pic.twitter.com/09EEPDkaHY
— FtsySports4All (@FtsySports4All) September 23, 2022
“Every year, more than 50 million Americans play fantasy sports. They are parents, grandparents, neighbors, and co-workers – and they are taxpayers and voters who deserve to have their voices heard and their rights protected,” the group’s website states.
According to the website, Fantasy Sports For All is supported by sports organizations including the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS, NASCAR, and UFC.
The group is affiliated with another FanDuel-backed lobbying group called Fans For The Future, which works to lobby for mobile sports betting legislation and was most recently active in the push to get New York to legalize.
Let's bring online mobile sports betting to New York! https://t.co/OSwqxbu08B
— R.O.B (@abstractanalyst) April 1, 2021
In the case of Ontario, the group decries the recent closure of DFS operations following the legalization and regulation of the sports betting market in April.
In the run up to the launch, DraftKings and FanDuel were forced to discontinue their respective DFS offerings in order to qualify for a mobile sports betting license under guidelines set out by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
“When Ontario recently legalized sports betting and online gaming, it resulted in daily fantasy sports shutting down,” the website states.
“For more than seven years, hundreds of thousands of Ontario sports fans had been enjoying a fun and interactive way to participate with the sports, teams and players that they loved. If you want to again have the opportunity to play daily fantasy sports in Ontario, you need to contact your lawmakers now.”
The discontinuance of DFS by the duo provoked the ire of former users in Ontario, a player base the two firms are now looking to utilize in reversing the decision.
The prepopulated message which DFS players are encouraged to send reads: “As a constituent and die-hard sports fan, I am writing to you today to ask that you protect my right to play daily fantasy sports in Ontario.
“I went to log on to my daily fantasy sports app for the start of NFL and was shocked to find out that these contests are no longer offered in Ontario. I don’t understand why that would happen and I am strongly opposed to any effort that would take away my right to play daily fantasy sports.
“This issue is extremely important to me and all of my friends and family who play daily fantasy sports. Please follow-up to find out why this has happened and how we can fix it,” the message concludes.
Despite the stance taken by the site, DFS contests are not ostensibly illegal in the province, however they are strictly limited.
In Ontario, so-called ‘pay-to-play fantasy sports’ contests are classified as gambling under Canada’s criminal code and are permitted as part of AGCO standards for igaming, released to operators in 2021.
Regulated operators who have entered into an agreement with AGCO’s conduct and management entity for igaming and sports betting are permitted to offer pay-to-play fantasy sports contests once they go live in the regulated Ontario market.
However, when this happens, Ontario players utilizing DFS operators are limited to playing against other players located in Ontario.
AGCO has said that choosing whether or not to offer paid-for DFS contests is an “individual business decision” which rests with registered operators.