California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Thursday issued a formal legal opinion “declaring that daily fantasy sports platforms constitute a form of illegal online sports betting.” Bonta concluded that the “operation of daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests, such as those offered by DraftKings, FanDuel and similar services, is not permitted under current California law.” The opinion was issued “in response to a request” from Assemblymember Tom Lackey and comes amid “growing scrutiny of fantasy sports operators by lawmakers and tribal gaming interests.” While Bonta’s opinion does “not carry the force of law, it could influence future court rulings and legislative debates” (KTLA.com, 7/3).
