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DraftKings and FanDuel continue to feel legal heat.
A former Northern Illinois running back filed a lawsuit in Chicago federal court against the daily fantasy sites and is seeking more than $5 million in damages, according to The Daily Chronicle.
Former Husky Akeem Daniels alleges that DraftKings (based out of Boston) and FanDuel (based out of New York) used his name as well as that of other football and basketball players on the collegiate level to generate millions in revenue.
The lawsuit claims that the two companies have “immeasurably altered the college football and basketball environment” by putting student-athletes “in an unwanted state of fear and concern of the risk of being contacted by speculators who have a financial interest” in regards to their on-field performance.
Point-shaving and fixing were mentioned among the consequences of that altered landscape that Daniels referred to.
The suit is aiming for class-action status to represent all collegiate players, similar to the Ed O’Bannon suit in 2009, which O’Bannon eventually won in 2013.
The legal obstacles continue for DraftKings and FanDuel as the question continues surrounding whether daily fantasy should be considered gambling.
Born and raised in Gainesville, Talal joined SDS in 2015 after spending 2 years in Bristol as an ESPN researcher. Previously, Talal worked at The Gainesville Sun.
