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Lawmakers Look To Clarify Playing Fantasy Sports Is Not Gambling

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Lawmakers are once again working to assure the 3-million Floridians who play fantasy sports with friends that they’re not breaking the law. A measure from Tampa Republican Senator Dana Young would clarify that playing fantasy sports does not constitute gambling. The Seminole Tribe of Florida has raised concerns about the legislation violating the tribe’s gambling exclusivity agreement with the state. But Young says she’s not worried.

“There is a federal law the regulates online or internet gambling that specifically excludes fantasy sports because they are skill based games and it states in that law that they are skill based games,” Young says.

Furthermore, Young says if fantasy sports were somehow found to be gambling that wouldn’t have an impact on the state’s revenue.

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Regan McCarthy is the Assistant News Director for WFSU Public Media. Before coming to Tallahassee, Regan graduated with honors from Indiana University’s Ernie Pyle School of Journalism. She worked for several years for NPR member station WFIU in Bloomington, Ind., where she covered local and state government and produced feature and community stories.

Phone: (850) 645-6090 | rmccarthy@fsu.edu

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