nuckin_futz Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Daily fantasy sports gaming illegal in Canada, trade group saysThe Canadian Gaming Association, a trade group whose stakeholders include casinos, said it has obtained a legal opinion claiming daily fantasy sports games are illegal under the Criminal Code of Canada.TSN has learned the CGA commissioned Don Bourgeois, former general counsel for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, to examine the legal standing of fantasy sports. Bourgeois also worked as a lawyer with the Ontario attorney general for 10 years from 1991-2001.The gaming association plans to share Bourgeois’s report in the coming days with the current provincial attorneys general and also may contact local police about his findings, said Paul Burns, a CGA spokesman.Burns said he would not share Bourgeois’s report, which is about 15 to 20 pages, with the public before it was distributed to government officials.On Tuesday, the daily fantasy sports gaming industry was rocked after the New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman ordered the two biggest daily fantasy sports companies, DraftKings and FanDuel, to stop accepting bets from New York residents.In a cease-and-desist order, Schneiderman said daily fantasy games constituted illegal gambling under New York state law.Schneiderman’s order sent shockwaves through professional sports teams and leagues, some of whom have invested in the daily fantasy sports companies.The NHL, for instance, is an investor in DraftKings. In July, the company announced a new round of funding worth $300 million. Investors included Fox Sports, the NHL, Major League Soccer and New York sports company Madison Square Garden.Major League Baseball also has an equity stake in DraftKings and offers daily contests on MLB.com, while the NBA has an exclusive deal with FanDuel.Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd., the parent company of the Maple Leafs and Raptors, recently signed a landmark four-year sponsorship with DraftKings that pays Canada’s largest private sports company more than $1 million per year.TSN’s parent company, Bell Media, is a part owner of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd.Some 41.5 million players in Canada and the U.S. played daily fantasy gaming in 2014, according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association in Chicago. It’s unclear how many Canadians participate.Schneiderman charged fantasy sports is gambling because games involved both skill and luck. That claim also formed the backbone of Bourgeois’s conclusions.“Fantasy gaming companies say they are lawful in Canada because they are games of skill,” Bourgeois said in an interview. “I looked at it. Is it a game of skill? No, not for purposes of the Criminal Code. The Criminal Code of Canada says if a game is a game of mixed skill and chance then it is considered a game of chance. That’s gambling.”It’s unclear whether sports leagues that have invested in daily fantasy sports companies have exposure – civil or criminal – after Schneiderman’s order.“At the very least the leagues are putting their investments at risk,” Bourgeois said. “If you invest $10 million or $20 million in a company or a system that ends up being illegal in Canada or the U.S., do you get your money back? What was the due diligence of the investor’s board of governors?”The NHL has invested in DraftKings at the same time as the league has opposed making single-sport betting legal in Canada.The CGA was among the biggest supporters of Bill C-290, a private member’s bill in Canada that sought to make legal single-sport event gambling.That bill did not pass under the Conservative government, although the New Democratic Party has indicated it plans to revive the bill.In Canada alone, an estimated $10 billion is bet through illegal booking operations by organized crime, according to the CGA, and another $5 billion goes to offshore online sports books. Legal sports lottery wagering is worth about $500 million.The rise of daily fantasy sports gaming has raised numerous issues for pro sports leagues.Several NHL player agents, for instance, say the league and union should agree on a policy for players and league employees participating in fantasy sports games.“When Carey Price gets hurt, the players on that team know full well long before the general public does,” one agent told TSN in an interview. “And NHL employees and players on other teams know as well. If it’s possible for them to use that information and make money at it, then you need to have safeguards and policies in place.”The NFL allows its players to participate in fantasy contests so long as the stakes don’t exceed $250 per year, The New York Times reported. All NFL employees, including players, coaches and team and league staff, are required to certify each year that they have received and read league policies and understand them.It’s unclear whether the NHL and NHLPA are discussing a similar policy.http://www.tsn.ca/talent/daily-fantasy-sports-gaming-illegal-in-canada-trade-group-says-1.392182 *************************************************The popularity of these sites is quite something. Sounds like casinos want to put the genie back in the bottle so they can get a piece of the action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Heffy Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Absolutely ridiculous law, although I'm not a big fan of the format. One of the most enjoyable parts of being in a fantasy league is the trash talk and competition between friends over the season.That being said, the fact the house is taking a cut can't be overlooked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derp... Posted November 11, 2015 Share Posted November 11, 2015 Wow surprising, but not shocking that it's illegal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peaches5 Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 It is not skill based. If that's how they are saying it's not gambling then there is no way they are going to win that fight in court. It's luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuktravella Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 funny how the government seems to stick its nose in everything people do on a daily basis we need less government interference in our lives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garth Rizzuto Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Government won't tolerate other gangs treading on their turf. Know what I'm sayin'? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
etsen3 Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 Re: the lawyer's last name Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offensive Threat Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 NY state has ordered DraftKings and Fanduel to stop operating in the state. Specifically stating that they are gambling sites. This deeply effects Fanduel as they are headquartered in New York city. Other US states are set to follow and Canada may not be far behind. I personally find fantasy football to be an annoyance and its increasing presence in NFL game coverage is reducing my enjoyment of the game so hopefully for me this will lead to the NFL and its teams from dropping Draftkings and Fanduel as sponsors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tre Mac Posted November 12, 2015 Share Posted November 12, 2015 NY state has ordered DraftKings and Fanduel to stop operating in the state. Specifically stating that they are gambling sites. This deeply effects Fanduel as they are headquartered in New York city. Other US states are set to follow and Canada may not be far behind. I personally find fantasy football to be an annoyance and its increasing presence in NFL game coverage is reducing my enjoyment of the game so hopefully for me this will lead to the NFL and its teams from dropping Draftkings and Fanduel as sponsors.Agreed. I was doing fantasy sports back when we had 14.4k modems. Just got bored of it. Now it is what texas hold'em was 10 years ago and I am getting so sick of it. Hate watching the canucks with buddies ' oh I hope canucks win but hopefully miller lets in 2 goals'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gino#29 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 who cares what they say,they're working for the casino's .total scuzz.come into our casino's and mindlessly and unskillfully drop half your check.if what they say is true sport action better be off of BCLC tomorrow.what a bunch of flimsy BS,i guess there's no skill in poker os blackjack,OK.the casino's better have nothing but slots in them tomorrow.did these goofs lose at drafkings and now they're butthurt so they ruin it for everyone else?the weaselly governments even been caught swindling bingo halls,swindling pensioners.lets shut down the only thing you actually stand a chance of winning at.scumbags the USA way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gino#29 Posted November 17, 2015 Share Posted November 17, 2015 ever play internet blackjack?thats who they should be going after,it's so blatantly rigged it isn't funny.including BCLC they're all the same.you win at first then its impossible to come out ahed.the dealer will get 20 19 out of 20 times.seen it to many times.its programmed and seedy as hell.you can't rig draftings and you can change your selections one minute before the game so if you take injured players and you're too lazy to check your picks just before the game.thats your own fault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Tortorella Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 On November 16, 2015 at 10:47:16 PM, gino#29 said: ever play internet blackjack?thats who they should be going after,it's so blatantly rigged it isn't funny.including BCLC they're all the same.you win at first then its impossible to come out ahed.the dealer will get 20 19 out of 20 times.seen it to many times.its programmed and seedy as hell.you can't rig draftings and you can change your selections one minute before the game so if you take injured players and you're too lazy to check your picks just before the game.thats your own fault. Do you controll how your players play? If so thats skill if no then thats chance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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