Inside Asian Gaming

December 2016 inside asian gaming 39 being that his job had allowed him to access detailed statistical information on DraftKings players, then use that knowledge to gain an advantage when choosing his DFS teams on FanDuel. In November 2015, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman issued cease and desist letters to all DFS companies operating in the state, claiming they were, “engaged in illegal gambling under New York law, causing the same kinds of social and economic harms as other forms of illegal gambling, and misleading New York consumers.” Schneiderman’s actions sparked a chain reaction around the country and soon dozens of states were discussing the legality of fantasy sports and whether they should be regulated or banned completely. It was a brutal blow to the DFS industry and one it’s been fighting against ever since. Last month, DraftKings and FanDuel – who have been leading the legislative charge on behalf of all operators – agreed to pay a combined US$12 million to New York to settle claims of false and deceptive advertising practices. More damaging has been their rapidly escalating legal costs as well as the considerable resources they’ve needed to fund lobby groups in various iGaming in Depth iGaming Blue Pages “Already boasting 90% market share worldwide between them, the merger would create a true titan of the online gaming industry, with the DFS market expected to double in value to more than US$5.3 billion by 2021.”