Earlier this week, the state of Delaware became the 14th in the US to authorize daily fantasy sports gaming. Governor John Carney signed legislation on Wednesday that would allow DFS operations to take place within the state’s borders.
HB 249 was approved on June 30th by legislators and signed almost a month later by Governor John Carney on Wednesday. The bill amends the current lottery law of the state, clarifying that interactive fantasy sports contests are games of skill and not games of chance. Because of the language changes to the law, daily fantasy sports is no longer considered illegal gambling in the state.
Operators of daily fantasy sports in Delaware will have to pay a $50,000 annual fee along with 15.5% of their gross revenue from players. The law states that the governor will be choosing the department that will regulate the industry and several consumer protections have been put in place including responsible gaming protocols, truth in advertising and the segregation of player funds from operational funds.
The minimum age of players allowed to take part in DFS contests is 18 and contests cannot be created based on college sporting events, amateur events or horse racing.
The law does not take effect until 30 days after it was enacted, so DFS operators will not be able to return to offering services in the state just yet. DraftKings reportedly intends to return to the state, with the general counsel for the operator, Tim Parilla, confirming their return in a statement. Parilla stated that DraftKings is looking forward to returning to the state and the company is grateful to Governor Carney and members of legislature for supporting the industry.
FanDuel has also confirmed that they plan on returning services to the state as well. With the time frame of the legislation going into effect, operators should be back in business by the start of the NFL season.
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