In a new opinion released this week, Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery said fantasy sports amount to illegal gambling.
The full opinion covers all fantasy sports. The opinion was requested by House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh.
However, the debate over the legality of fantasy sports in Tennessee is not over. A bill making its way through the legislature would regulate fantasy sports, and allow it to continue.
“It’s important if we are going to have it, we define it is legal,” said Sen. Jack Johnson, a Republican from Franklin who sponsored the bill. “We need to have some consumer protections in place for people who are playing.”
It is estimated more than 1 million Tennesseans play fantasy sports.
The bill would require participants to be 18 years old, create a task force to oversee online competitions, and require fantasy sports operators to register with the state. Sen. Johnson said he worked with the Attorney General's office on the legislation, and said the Attorney General opinions do not carry the force of the law, but can be cited when attempting to change laws.
The bill has received support from fantasy sites FanDuel and DraftKings.
In a statement, FanDuel said the company disagrees with the Attorney General’s opinion.
“Legislators will be hearing from constituents from all across the state with a clear message: do not take away a game we love. We hope members of the legislature will listen to them, and act quickly to modernize state law and bring full clarity to the issue.
A statement from DraftKings said:
“We call on all of our fans and Tennessee supporters to let their voices be heard in the coming days to show support for this legislation and protect their right to play the games they love.”
The bill has passed in the Senate. The House bill was in committee.
