Daily fantasy sports betting future unclear in California
Daily fantasy sports betting sites DraftKings and FanDuel said last week that they would suspend contests on college athletics after the NCAA basketball championship game Monday, April 4.
The decision was the culmination of months of meetings with NCAA officials who have not been receptive to what they view as gambling.
In January, Levine was the sole Assembly member to vote against AB1437, a bill that would regulate daily fantasy contests in California and collect fees for the state.
“There is no doubt that betting on the performance of professional athletes is gambling and that fantasy sports betting is currently illegal under California law,” Levine said.
[...] if the Legislature is going to allow sports betting, we need to respect California voters by first going to the ballot to amend the Constitution.
“We must have the strongest consumer protection laws in the nation,” he said, noting that other states, including New York, Illinois and Nevada, have moved toward limiting or banning the sites.
Levine admits he even plays in a season-long NFL fantasy league himself — without money involved.