New York passed a bill in June legalizing daily fantasy sports, enabling popular services such as DraftKings and FanDuel to operate in the state. Yesterday, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law. “Daily fantasy sports have proven to be popular in New York, but until now have operated with no supervision and no protections for players,” explained Cuomo. “This legislation strikes the right balance that allows this activity to continue with oversight from state regulators, new consumer protections, and more funding for education.” Continue reading New York Governor Signs Bill Legalizing Daily Fantasy Sports

The New York legislature passed a bill over the weekend that would legalize and regulate fantasy sports in the state. Last fall, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said daily fantasy sports are a violation of state gambling laws; courts then ruled to shut down DraftKings and FanDuel. The new decision could impact the industry’s ongoing efforts “to pass bills in statehouses that would validate its contention the practice isn’t gambling and shouldn’t be subject to state gambling bans or other restrictions,” reports The Wall Street Journal. “The industry has won passage of bills in Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri and Colorado, but it has lost battles in several other states.” Continue reading Fantasy Sports May Return to New York if Governor Signs Bill

The NBA manned point on Thursday at the CES Sports Business Forum with assists from NextVR and Intel. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and NBA great Shaquille O’Neal were on hand to share their perspectives on tech investing in sports and more. Sessions featured NextVR’s Brad Allen, Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, and others. Sensors, sports betting, and the future of VR broadcasting were among the most popular topics. The event was hosted by Turner Sports and served as a lead-in to their eSports Showcase. Continue reading Sports Business Forum: Panelists Talk eSports, VR, Sensors

The National Football League has had a longstanding anti-gambling policy, but its new deal with Switzerland-based Sportradar suggests the league may be changing its tune. According to terms of the deal, Sportradar distributes live data from professional football games, which include everything from scores to a running back’s acceleration rate. Sportradar is already well known in the sports gambling business, and it currently sells its data to fantasy sports sites. Continue reading New NFL Deal with Live Sports Data Firm Draws Concerns

On Friday, a New York judge granted the state attorney general’s injunction to bar daily fantasy sports companies FanDuel and DraftKings from operating in the state. Then, hours later, an appeals court judge allowed the companies to continue to operate until at least January 4, when the legality of the games will be further considered. The appeal was granted based on the argument of the DraftKings lawyers who said that even a temporary shutdown would irreparably harm the company. Continue reading DraftKings and Fan Duel Get Temporary Reprieve in New York

New York State attorney general Eric T. Schneiderman is on a mission to shut down daily fantasy sports websites FanDuel and DraftKings, calling them illegal. Most recently, he sought an injunction to prevent both companies from operating in the state. FanDuel says it will comply by temporarily banning New York consumers from playing. DraftKings, however, says it’s still open for business with New York clientele. Schneiderman is also focusing on other daily fantasy sports sites, subpoenaing Yahoo. Continue reading NY State Attorney General Goes After Fantasy Football Sites

Twitch, the videogame-streaming site that Amazon acquired for nearly $1 billion last year, is now broadcasting online poker players. Twitch reportedly draws in about 100 million users each month, a number that is expected to increase with an additional wave of viewers tuning in for the poker channels. As with most videos on Twitch, the poker games are interactive, with a chat function that allows viewers to post comments and ask players questions about the strategies taken during gameplay. Continue reading Twitch Game Streaming Service Adds Online Poker Broadcasts

Facebook and Twitter were used in compelling new ways during this year’s Academy Awards for advertising, live blogging and live streaming. Facebook reported an upswing of 21 million global users recording 58 million Oscar-related interactions. According to Nielsen, 13 million U.S. Twitter users watched the Oscar telecast, a 6.5 percent drop from the previous year. However, the show’s overall TV audience in the U.S. dropped by 16 percent, suggesting that the Twitter numbers can still be considered a victory for the social platform. Continue reading Oscars: While TV Viewing Declines, Social Media Scores Victory

Social gaming company Zynga is releasing gambling games in the UK, where online gambling is legal. Zynga has partnered with British online gambling company Bwin.party to introduce gambling games for Facebook and mobile devices. The gambling titles plan to leverage the popular social and mobile aspects of online games. The partnership may also be a sign that others will enter the online gambling market. Continue reading Zynga Turns Social Games to Online Gambling on Facebook

Real money online poker has been reintroduced in the U.S. with the launch of UltimatePoker.com, the country’s first legal online gambling portal since regulators shut down gambling sites in 2011. The site is operated by Ultimate Gaming, a subsidiary of Fertitta Interactive that also runs the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Currently, only users in Nevada will have access, since Ultimate Gaming plans to track IP addresses in order to keep the site secure. Continue reading Ultimate Poker: Real Money Online Gambling Returns to U.S.

Zynga launched two real-money games, ZyngaPlusPoker and ZyngaPlusCasino, in the United Kingdom on April 3. Powered by the bwin.party gaming operator, the social gaming giant is starting off with download and Web versions of the games, while hinting at social versions to come later in the year to Facebook and mobile in the UK. Only players 18 years and older are permitted to play the real-money games. Continue reading Social Gaming Giant Launches Real-Money Games in UK

Las Vegas could soon be facing competition from social networks and gaming companies. “Silicon Valley is betting that online gambling is its next billion-dollar business, with developers across the industry turning casual games into occasions for adults to wager,” reports The New York Times. The games are aimed at overseas markets for now, where attitudes and laws regarding gambling are more relaxed and very lucrative. Continue reading Will the Tech Industry Go All In for Online Gambling?