Empire State lawmakers have tabled a motion that plans to legalize proposition wagers for fantasy sports. Should this proposal see the light of day, players will get to wager on various facets of fantasy sports gaming.

Facets such as the number of points players accumulate in a fantasy game or whether they hit a home run, will all be permissible under this new measure. The bill was introduced by none other than Senator Joseph Addabbo and Assemblyman J. Gary Peltow, known for their fervent support of regulated gambling initiatives.

In a recent interview with NewsDay, Sen. Addabbo explained that he’s pushing for this legislative agenda as the activity is incredibly popular among gamblers in New York and across the country. Part of the Senator’s statement read:

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“Fantasy Sports was only getting about $3 million to $4 million a year for the state. Are you kidding me? Why are we not maximizing fantasy sports like other states? …Instead of losing this money to other states or illegal markets, let’s make sure they stay in the state and improve and expand the product. It allows us to generate more revenue for education … I think all New Yorkers will benefit from it.”

What Does the DFS Bill Say?

While the bill’s headlining act will be the introduction of proposition bets to fantasy sports, its content extends beyond this aspect. The proposed law also seeks to change the minimum age requirement for persons participating in fantasy sports activities. Under current regulations, individuals residing or visiting the Empire State must attain the legal age of 18 to be allowed to wager on fantasy sporting activities.

The two proponents of the bill feel that this age threshold isn’t good enough, and there’s a need for serious conversation on the prevalent demographic affected by irresponsible gaming in fantasy sports. This primarily targets young adults who may have attained the legal adult age in the state and the United States to a more significant extent but are still too exposed to the potential harms of fantasy sports wagering.

As such, the bill proposes that the legal minimum age for participating in fantasy sports be increased from 18 to 21, in line with the legal sports betting age in the Empire State. This, perhaps, is another factor behind the proposed change. Uniformity in legal policies is vital, as it could prove to be a confusing matter, especially to people who aren’t well-versed with the particulars of gambling laws in the jurisdiction.

The legislation also features measures geared toward mitigating potential abuse cases and scandals related to fantasy sports prop bets. One vital element of the gaming law would be limiting these types of wagers to persons within the same fantasy league, and that wager will occur only for the duration of a single game.

With these specific measures, the dynamic gambling duo seeks to have the game played in a controlled environment. That way, there is reduced risk of manipulation, which enhances fair play gameplay in the highly competitive space. Assemblyman Pretlow has also suggested a need for compromises because of the regulation concerns fronted by the New York Gaming Commission.

The Assemblyman has also called for restricting prop bets to season-long wagers instead of in-game wagers. Think of it this way: instead of awarding immediate in-game wagers, they could choose to award players who have been successful throughout a season to its completion. As such, the immediate pressure to do well is eliminated, alleviating the compulsion for misconduct by players. All in all, these measures aim to enhance the ethical aspect of fantasy sports gaming.

Potential Concerns for the Tabled Measure

While it’s in its initial stages, the bill has so far received some sort of support from legislative chambers. Be that as it may, there have also been several stakeholders who have potential concerns about some elements of the bill should it become law. For starters, opposers of the bill feel that the fast-paced process of fantasy sports betting encourages placing small wagers, which may be a ticking time bomb, especially for vulnerable demographics.

These small bets may build up over time and may cause gamblers to spend more than what they can afford, presenting a potential problem gambling situation. Other opposers have also brought up the potential of bettors to encounter integrity problems, players may deliberately underperform, or fake injury exists.

The most recent example is of Toronto Raptors’ Jontay Porter, whose basketball playing career ended prematurely when the NBA banned him for violating its gambling rules. An investigation by the National Basketball Association revealed that the player deliberately changed his gameplay activities to assist specific wagers he had placed. As a result, the NBA decided to hand him a lifetime ban.

Prevailing Prop Bets Situation in Other US Jurisdictions

Generally, most states have allowed these types of wagers to be carried out in a way or form. As more and more states continue to legalize aspects of wagering, people are becoming more creative. Currently, spread wagers are still the most popular bets across the country. That said, players want to explore more options, and this spurs slightly unconventional betting habits, such as wagering on a prop bet.

Nonetheless, the measure to legalize fantasy sports prop bets has received little attention from New York legislators. It is because the bill is not being perceived as a significant expansion of gambling, an aspect that could have led to public hearings by legislators. Rather, the prop bets are part of fantasy wagering, which isn’t currently viewed as a game of chance under the law.