Report: Underdog withdraws pick’em product from North Carolina and Mississippi
DFS operator continues to pull against the house offerings across the US, with firm waiting to hear on success of securing a sports betting license in North Carolina ahead of market going live
Underdog Fantasy has withdrawn its pick’em games from two states this week, replacing them with free-to-play models, according to various reports.
On Monday, an X, formerly Twitter, user posted a screengrab of what appeared to be an email to Underdog customers in North Carolina, explaining pick’em style games in North Carolina had been “turned off”.
Yesterday, the same user reported that the operator had confirmed games would no longer be listed in Mississippi either.
While paid pick’em games will no longer be on offer in both states, free versions of the game with real-money prizes will still be made available.
Although the North Carolina State Lottery Commission (NCSLC) has been considering reviewing daily fantasy sports (DFS) regulation in the state for some time now, it has not yet moved forward with any official action.
In North Carolina, Underdog has been named as one of nine sports betting applicants ahead of the launch of regulated online sports betting in the state next month.
In the case of Mississippi, Saturday Down South reported that Underdog Fantasy will not exit the state completely and will continue to offer its draft DFS competitions.
Only four months ago, Mississippi became one of four states, along with Alabama, Tennessee, and Wyoming, where Underdog Fantasy debuted its pick’em games.
However, over the last couple of months, regulators in a number of states have been cracking down on DFS games believing them to be illegal or unlicensed.
Saturday Down South reported that the Florida Gaming Control Commission sent Underdog Fantasy, PrizePicks, and Betr cease-and-desist notices earlier this month, accusing the operators of offering or accepting illegal bets from locals.
This led to both Underdog Fantasy and PrizePicks informing their Floridian players that they would be ceasing all operations in the state by March 1.
Also this month, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) and the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission (KRGC) both issued cease-and-desist letters to PrizePicks and Underdog Fantasy, accusing the companies of offering unlicensed sports betting in the guise of DFS.
Underdog Fantasy was also forced to pull out of Maine in October last year.