Issues

The Fantasy Sports Association is pleased that Congress continues to regard fantasy sports as games of skill, not of chance. Currently there are two related bills in Congress.

Download the full text of H.R. 4411, which was passed by the House of Representatives on July 11, 2006.

  • H.R. 4411 - Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2005

    Update: H.R. 4411 was passed by the House of Representatives on July 11, 2006 by a vote of 317-93.

    H.R. 4411 was introduced by Rep. Jim Leach (R-IA-2nd District) on November 18, 2005.

    From the Library of Congress record, the bill is intended to "prevent the use of certain payment instruments, credit cards, and fund transfers for unlawful Internet gambling, and for other purposes".

    From Sec. 5362 of the bill:

     "the term 'bet' or 'wager' does not include...
    (viii) any participation in a simulation sports game, an educational game, or a contest, that--
      `(I) is not dependent solely on the outcome of any single sporting event or nonparticipant's singular individual performance in any single sporting event; (II) has an outcome that reflects the relative knowledge of the participants, or their skill at physical reaction or physical manipulation (but not chance), and, in the case of a simulation sports game, has an outcome that is determined predominantly by accumulated statistical results of sporting events; and (III) offers a prize or award to a participant that is established in advance of the game or contest and is not determined by the number of participants or the amount of any fees paid by those participants."
    Links:

    http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.4411:
  • H.R. 4777 - Internet Gambling Prohibition Act

    H.R. 4777 was introduced by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA-6th District) on February 16, 2006.

    His page on www.house.gov describes the bill as an update to "the Wire Act to cover all forms of gambling and new technology". The bill exempts fantasy sports from its definition of gambling: "The bill defines a bet or wager to include wagering on sporting events, lotteries and games of chance. A bet or wager does not include securities and commodities transactions, indemnity and insurance contracts, and fantasy sports leagues."

    Links:

    http://www.house.gov/goodlatte/internetgambling109.htm
    http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.4777: