Within the past week, there has been movement in the state legislatures of Alabama and New Jersey in relation to daily fantasy sports.
Legislative action and inaction in the states of Alabama and New Jersey have resulted in DFS bill updates that players in the states should take note of.
On Friday night, the Alabama Senate declined to vote on a bill that would have legalized DFS contests in the state. The bill was H354, which had passed through committee with amendments last Wednesday. The Senate’s lack of action on it Friday essentially kills the bill as the legislative session ended on Friday night.
While it’s possible for a similar bill that will regulate DFS contests in Alabama to be introduced in the next term, exactly how long that would take is uncertain. There’s no guarantee that future bills would have any further success either. For the foreseeable future, Alabama residents should expect DFS sites like DraftKings and FanDuel to continue their policies of not accepting entries from residents of the state.
Next: Each State's Sports Mt Rushmore
Monday brought some better news for DraftKings and FanDuel, along with New Jersey residents.
The poor showing of the Alabama bill in that state’s Senate could be considered a reflection of how the bill fared in the Alabama House. It passed through that body with a razor-thin margin and went through many drafts before passing to the full Senate floor. That hasn’t been the case with this New Jersey bill, which has gotten strong support in the general assembly.
Given what we know about Governor Chris Christie’s favorable attitude toward legalized sports betting, it’s likely that he will sign the bill if the New Jersey Senate approves it. Exactly what the final version will entail has yet to be seen, but operators in the state should expect some kind of licensure requirement along with a list of consumer protections that they must adhere to.
So far 2017 has been a year of ups and downs for the DFS industry. These recent developments, and many more that will occur in other states yet this year, figure to continue that trend.