fantasy sports

17 Stories

Baseball Is Being Sued— by Fantasy Players

They say their bets were tainted by the Astros' cheating

(Newser) - The MLB is urging a judge to dismiss a class-action lawsuit brought by five fans who say their fantasy baseball scores suffered because the Houston Astros stole signs . The plaintiffs are suing the MLB, MLB Advanced Media, the Astros, and the Boston Red Sox (also accused of stealing signs ),...

Nevada Shuts Down Fantasy Sports Sites

They'll need a gambling license to operate in state

(Newser) - Nevada regulators ordered daily fantasy sports sites like DraftKings and FanDuel to shut down Thursday, saying the hard-to-miss sites that have flooded the marketplace with TV and Internet ads cannot operate in the state without a gambling license. The decision comes amid growing backlash by regulators and investigators, including New...

FBI Talking to Customers of Fantasy Sports Leagues

Feds looking into legality of sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel

(Newser) - The FBI and Justice Department are digging into the scandal that's erupted in the fantasy sports world, and they've begun talking to customers, reports New York Times . "It is entirely predictable that the government would follow up on the misleading reports about our industry," says a...

Scandal Hits the Fantasy Sports World

DraftKings employee leaks data, rakes in the bucks

(Newser) - Two big fantasy sports companies are in damage-control mode after an employee leaked vital data and won big bucks in the same week—stirring fears of corruption in a multibillion-dollar industry, the New York Times reports. Ethan Haskell, who works at DraftKings, admits he mistakenly released information about player lineups...

Guy's Actual Job: Playing Fantasy Football

Drew Dinkmeyer likens game to day-trading

(Newser) - His job is literally a fantasy: Drew Dinkmeyer makes his money by betting on fantasy games, and he's not exactly struggling. The 31-year-old quit his work as an investment analyst in June so he could concentrate on fantasy sports, and he's making comparable money. "After a few...

Fidelity Fires Four Workers —Over Fantasy Football

Employees get the boot, argue policy is totally lame

(Newser) - Fidelity Investment has fired four of its employees after discovering they were heading up dangerous gambling rings, also known as fantasy football leagues. In a nightmare scenario for guys everywhere, the commissioners of four office leagues were sacked recently, the Fort-Worth Star Telegram reports, after company officials intercepted some nefarious...

Yahoo Sues for Free Fantasy Football Stats

Company argues NFL union has no copyright on players' info

(Newser) - Yahoo has taken the NFL Players Association to court in a bid to use players' information for its online fantasy football game without paying royalties, CNET reports. Yahoo argues that since the players' names, biographies, and statistics are already in the public domain, it no longer needs to gain permission...

Feds Block Online Gambling
 Feds Block Online Gambling 

Feds Block Online Gambling

New rule stops banks, credit card companies from processing bets

(Newser) - The Treasury Department and Federal Reserve will effectively outlaw most forms of online gambling with new rules that bar banks and credit card companies from processing transactions related to internet betting. The banking and gaming industry and House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank oppose the new rules, reports the Wall ...

Obama Scores in Fantasy Football

Candidate steps up to sportswriter's challenge

(Newser) - Barack Obama's too busy be a great fantasy football partner, but the man knows his stuff, writes Rick Reilly at ESPN. The candidate accepted Reilly's challenge to help him draft a team for a week in a fantasy football league and the sportswriter found him on the campaign bus poring...

Not Quite Main Street's Fantasy Football

Fueled by hedge-fund types, Wall St. league boasts $1M purse

(Newser) - While the world suffers through financial meltdown, some of the world’s wealthiest money managers are easing the mood by competing in one of Wall Street’s most exclusive boys clubs: A $1 million fantasy-football league. Hedge-fund titans predominate among owners, who pay $100,000 annually for their teams—and...

On Sports Exchange, 'Trade' Takes on New Meaning

Create a 'Sportfolio' and buy and sell shares in your favorite athletes

(Newser) - Trading baseball cards with your friends is so 20th century. A new website allows sports fans to trade shares in athletes and even teams, effectively wagering real money on the performance of pro and college athletes, reports Reuters. "I see the marketplace being enormous," says an early investor...

Fantasy Sports Ruling: Bet on Hypocrisy
Fantasy Sports Ruling:
Bet on Hypocrisy
Opinion

Fantasy Sports Ruling: Bet on Hypocrisy

It's not gambling because the government says so

(Newser) - Fantasy sports are A-OK with the Supreme Court and the US government—even though they’re essentially thinly disguised gambling games, writes Jacob Sullum of Reason Online. Many leagues openly include an entrance fee and a cash prize—which seems an awful lot like sports betting. But it’s not,...

Justices Don't Buy MLB's Fantasy Pitch

Using players' real names in for-profit leagues is free speech, Supreme Court rules

(Newser) - The Supreme Court refused today to hear an appeal by Major League Baseball against a ruling that allowed fantasy sports leagues to use real players' names and stats without paying a licensing fee, the Los Angeles Times reports. MLB contended such leagues shouldn't "exploit players' identity for commercial gain;...

Free Agents Can Be Your Slump-Busters
Free Agents Can Be
Your Slump-Busters

Free Agents Can Be Your Slump-Busters

Smart picks can salvage a season

(Newser) - If your fantasy baseball squad is struggling, you can take the Jason Giambi approach and wear a gold thong to break out of your slump; or you can check out your league's free agents and get yourself a slump-buster in the form of a starting pitcher—like Darrell Rasner, for...

Big Whiffers Bargains For Fantasy Owners

Guys like Dunn, Howard will put up the points despite Ks

(Newser) - Sometimes a fantasy baseball owner must take the good with the bad, meaning you're going to have to live with a lot of strikeouts if you want the big power guys in your league. Take Philly's Ryan Howard: he's got 380 whiffs but 105 homers in the last two seasons,...

Fantasy Sports Leagues Win Suit Against MLB

Firms have the right to use players' names and stats without paying

(Newser) - Companies operating fantasy sports leagues have the right to use players' names and statistics under the First Amendment, an appeals court has ruled in a suit against Major League Baseball, Bloomberg reports. A fantasy league company sued MLB after it claimed control over all use of player names linked to...

Own a Piece Of Your Favorite Athlete
Own a Piece Of Your Favorite Athlete

Own a Piece Of Your Favorite Athlete

Plans are in motion for a stock market in professional athletes

(Newser) - The good news: fantasy sports will soon be obsolete.  The bad news: the replacement is far more insidious.  Companies are currently designing stock markets in athletes that would allow fans (not to mention dispassionate investors) to buy and sell shares in individual stars and up-and-comers in the sporting...

17 Stories