On the eve of the Super Bowl, Washington state lawmakers are considering whether to legalize fantasy sports contests.
This is where sports fans build an imaginary team based on the stats of real players. They then compete in a league with other participants.
A state Senate panel took testimony Friday on a measure to reclassify these contests as games of skill, not gambling. But Democratic state Sen. Steve Conway is skeptical, especially after hearing about online daily fantasy sports contests.
“For many of us, it’s hard for us to understand how a daily game is a fantasy league game,” Conway said. “If this is a daily game then it sounds more like it’s a gambling activity rather than a game of skill.”
Currently, Washington law considers fantasy sports to be illegal forms of gambling. Supporters of the measure say 45 states already allow fantasy competitions making Washington an outlier. They also note that participants are not betting on real teams or real games.
