The Florida Gaming Control Commission has sent cease-and-desist letters to Underdog Fantasy, PrizePicks, and Betr regarding their Florida fantasy sports offerings.

The commission sent letters to the three companies on Sept. 19, 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.” The letters were first published by the Florida Regulatory Watch.

An industry insider said it was to their knowledge that all Florida operators involved in paid fantasy sports have received, or will receive, a cease-and-desist letter. It is our understanding that only Betr, Underdog Fantasy, and PrizePicks have received letters.

Both Underdog Fantasy and PrizePicks have told Saturday Down South they will continue to operate right now.

A FanDuel representative has confirmed that the operator has not received any communication from the Florida Gaming Control Commission. It has also been confirmed that DraftKings has not received a cease-and-desist letter from the commission.

We’ll continue to update the story as we get more information.

Florida Gaming Control Commission Cease-and-Desist

An X user, @flregwatch, posted the letter to PrizePicks on their feed. The other two letters to Betr and Underdog Fantasy were posted to a website called Florida Regulatory Watch.

According to the three identical letters, which were signed by Louis Trombetta, executive director of the Florida Gaming Control Commission, fantasy sports betting is strictly prohibited under Florida law.

“Under Florida Law, betting or wagering on the results 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.”

The letters go on to say that sports betting in the state may be only lawfully conducted pursuant to a gaming compact.

“I am hereby demanding you immediately cease and desist offering or accepting bets or wagers from residents of this state on the results of any contests of skill such as sports betting, including, but not limited to, bets or wagers made in connection with fantasy sports,” the letter reads.

A request for comment from the Florida Gaming Control Commission was not returned.

PrizePicks, Underdog Comment on Letter

A PrizePicks spokesperson offered the following comment to Saturday Down South.

“PrizePicks is participating in the regulatory review process underway in Florida. Over the past few years our larger competitors have intentionally spread misinformation to regulators across the country. We believe this anti-competitive smear campaign has driven inaccurate understandings of our contests and the laws governing them. We are eager to meet with the executive director and commission to discuss our business and our skill-based gaming platform. We are committed to ensuring that our valued members continue the right to play the fantasy sports games they love. It is important to note that none of these regulatory reviews are related to consumer protections. PrizePicks continues to put customers first and will always do so,” the spokesperson said.

John Lockwood, a Florida gaming attorney who represents Underdog Fantasy, as well as several other operators, told Saturday Down South in a written statement that the Florida Gaming Control Commission confirmed the language in the letter applies to all paid fantasy sports contests in the state.

“The Commission staff confirmed that the language in the letter broadly applies to all paid fantasy sports contests and they are not aware of any paid fantasy sports company operating legally in Florida. We disagree on the merits, and will be working with the commission and potentially the legislature so we can ensure Florida sports fans can continue to play,” he said.

Jeremy Levine, CEO and co-founder of Underdog Fantasy, published correspondence on X today between the Florida Gaming Control Commission and Underdog that seems to show the commission is blocking all types of paid fantasy sports in the state.