Daily Game
Not Gambling? Seriously.
The following piece was published at BaseballHQ.com back on April 17, 2015. That was before the Fanduel/DraftKings legal implosion the following fall. And it was before last week’s Supreme Court decision leaving the legalization of sports betting to the states. The gambling landscape is changing. This article might be one of my greatest forecasting achievements. Maybe.…
Read MoreMy Grievances Against Fan-Kings
I recently received an email from a respected colleague and industry leader. He asked me, “What are your grievances against Fanduel and DraftKings?” Several long-time industry friends have asked me similar questions over the past year. I am one of the few fantasy industry veterans who has not fallen into lockstep with a blindly pro-DFS…
Read MoreImportant Articles – Please Read
The following three articles are important updates on current DFS legislation. If you are about to click away because you don’t play DFS, stop. This directly affects season-long games. Fanduel and DraftKings have been pushing forward their own goals at the expense of the industry as a whole. That is why I have been advocating for…
Read MoreThe BABS Guide to DFS
If you missed my previous DFS articles, they are here (free) and here (not free). Assuming you’ve read them, let’s jump right in. My DFS planning process typically takes about 60-75 minutes, sometimes less. Depending upon my schedule on a given day, I might prep my starting pitcher options in the morning (15-20 minutes) and…
Read MoreHow I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love DFS
Love DFS? Hmm. Perhaps to my detriment in this changing world, I am not a gambler. I started playing fantasy sports back in the mid-1980s for the intellectual challenge and the camaraderie. The money was a nice carrot at the end of the season, but it was never even remotely a part of the motivation…
Read MoreThe Complete Past 6-Month History of DFS, Abridged
(FREE ARTICLE) My opinions about daily fantasy sports (DFS) have evolved over time, with alternating condemnation and praise. My earlier writings are still accessible at BaseballHQ.com. A few more recent works are available here, and here, and here. Last fall, the proverbial human sewage hit the fan and I started peppering my Facebook newsfeed with…
Read MoreDeconstructing DFS: Separating the Game from the Gambling
The fantasy sports industry has shifted into defense mode to combat the threat of coming regulation. Their case rests on a carve-out in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) that provides a definition for what constitutes a legal game. The core issue: is fantasy sports a game of chance or a game…
Read MoreThe Fuzzy Place Where Daily Fantasy Lives
When the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed in 2006, daily fantasy sports (DFS) were not in existence. One could argue that the law might have been worded differently had DFS been around then – a fact corroborated by one of the law’s writers – but the current fantasy sports carve-out still has…
Read MoreThe Five Stages
I’ve finally figured out why I will probably never play daily fantasy on a regular basis. It’s a legal issue. If I played regularly, I would likely end up in jail. After playing full-season fantasy baseball for 30 years, I hold a deep passion for the game. When I play, it’s never casual. I put…
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