excerpt:

Freed from the burden of getting league permission and paying millions of dollars in licensing, fantasy sports businesses are likely to expand and proliferate. Already, the FSTA estimates, 18 million Americans play fantasy sports. Mostly they do it for fun, but they can also win prizes, ranging from bobble-head dolls to cash awards as high as $25,000.

In other words, sports fans are paying for the chance to win money in contests that hinge on the performance of professional athletes. Why isn’t this gambling?

One answer is that playing fantasy sports requires knowledge and skill. But so do sports betting and poker.

Here’s the real reason it’s not gambling: The government says it isn’t. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which took effect last year, includes a specific exemption for fantasy sports, provided the prizes are determined in advance and the imaginary teams do not correspond to any real teams.

To read more, click here:
Jacob Sullum: The arbitrary distinction between fantasy sports and sports betting | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Opinion: Viewpoints

Author Contact Info: Jacob Sullum

This entry was posted on Monday, June 9th, 2008 at 7:43 am and is filed under Headlines, Legal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or from your own site.