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Betr, Underdog Fantasy, and PrizePicks ceased daily fantasy sports pick’em games in Florida on Friday, March 1, agreeing to follow orders from the Florida Gaming Control Commission.
The commission sent the three daily fantasy sports operators cease-and-desist letters last month, asking all three operators to stop “offering or accepting illegal bets or wagers from [Florida] residents” and “conducting any illegal lotteries” within 30 days of Jan. 31.
All three officially ended pick’em games last week, but Underdog Fantasy is still offering its traditional draft competitions in the state.
Florida Gaming Control Commission focusing on DFS
The pick’em games ceased on Friday, March 1.
The letters, signed by Florida Gaming Control Commission Executive Director Louis Trombetta, notified the operators that if the games were not discontinued in the state during the 30-day timeframe, the matter would be referred to the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.
“If this cessation is completed within that timeframe, the Commission will deem the company and all its officials, directors, and employees have complied with the demands of the cease-and-desist order, and the Commission will not take further action, including referral to the Office of Statewide Prosecution or to any State Attorney.”
A PrizePicks spokesperson said the company is currently working with the Florida Gaming Control Commission to further clarify DFS rules in the state.
The issue has been brewing in Florida for the last five months, as the Gaming Commission originally sent cease-and-desist letters to the operators in September. The commission sent letters to the three companies on Sept. 19, 2023, which in part read “betting or wagering on the result of contests of skill, such as sports betting, including fantasy sports betting, is strictly prohibited and constitutes a felony offense unless such activity is otherwise exempted by statute.”
DFS legislation in the Senate
As the three operators have withdrawn their pick’em offerings in Florida, all eyes are on a DFS bill that is currently sitting in the Senate. Sen. Travis Hutson (R-7) introduced SB 1568 in January and the bill will regulate DFS in the state through the Florida Gaming Control Commission.
The Fantasy Sports Contest Amusement Act will only allow peer-to-peer games and traditional draft competitions. It specifically prohibits the “contest operators from being a contest participant in a fantasy sports contest that the contest operator offers.”
The bill would established a $500,000 initial license application and $250,000 renewal fees for license.
After being approved 18-0 in a fiscal policy committee in mid-February, it has remained on a special order calendar in the Senate for the last three weeks.
If approved by House and signed into law, PrizePicks, Betr, and Underdog Fantasy could apply for a fantasy sports license.
Robert is an expert on sports betting in the United States, specifically the legalization process and regulation surrounding the industry.
