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Editorial: Fantasy sports hinge on luck

Editorial: Fantasy sports hinge on luck

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Fantasy sports companies defend embattled industry

FILE - In this Sept. 9, 2015 file photo, Len Don Diego, marketing manager for content at the DraftKings daily fantasy sports company, works at his station at the company's offices in Boston. Daily fantasy sports companies have said their industry remains viable despite a rocky start to 2016. ESPN and DraftKings ended an exclusive advertising deal, and FanDuel confirmed it was laying off 55 workers in its Orlando, Fla., office. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File)

Don't buy the shell game, Illinois. Daily fantasy sports as a game involves as much luck as any game of poker.

Lobbyists for the massive industry -- lead by behemoths FanDuel and DraftKings -- are touting so called "regulations" that would legalize the online gaming in the nation's fifth-largest state. It's the predictable response to Attorney General Lisa Madigan's crackdown late last year on the multi-billion cash-grab.

But, like with any table game, this industry-pitched regulatory ploy is rigged.

Daily fantasy clings to a "games of skill" loophole to circumvent state-level gaming laws and oversight. Congress caved to K Street sophists and exempted "games of skill" in 2006, when tearing down the burgeoning online poker scene, deemed "games of chance." Codifying the "skill" designation is integral to end-running true and meaningful regulation. 

And that's the embattled industry's goal with its pitch in Illinois. Sure, regulate online daily fantasy, says the industry-backed bill carried by state Rep. Michael Zalewski, D-Riverside. But designate the growing pastime "games of skill" in the process. And here we get to the heart of the issue, as attorneys general in state after state have ruled otherwise. 

Let's debunk this "skill" sham right here, right now.

Poker is the poster-child for "games of luck." A pair of aces might be enough to go all-in. A seasoned poker player might read her opponents faces. She might do some mental math, based on what's already on the table. She's using skill to better her odds of winning. But there's really no way of being sure of how the randomized deck treated the opposition, either.

Luck is the determining factor. 

The same goes for an online fantasy player. His research tells him Green Bay Quarterback Aaron Rodgers should have a big game. The opponent's secondary is weak. Its pass rush has been non-existent for weeks. Rodgers has a new stud receiver. All the makings of a winning hand are there. But, just like with poker, Rodgers might pull a hamstring in the first quarter. He might throw three bad interceptions. That typically awful pass rush might have its game of the year. 

A race horse might throw a shoe. Rodgers might get a concussion. There's no logical difference. No measure of research can account for the variables. 

Even the best daily fantasy players, reliant on complicated algorithms, are simply the digital equivalent of card counters. 

And that's fine. People should be free to spend their hard-earned cash however they please. 

But Congress made this regulatory mess. The nation's feckless deliberative body is wholly incapable of doing much of anything. It's up to state attorneys general and legislatures to bring order to the chaos and protect the fantasy playing public. Nevada, New York, Louisiana -- a broad swath of the American geo-political landscape -- have, so far, done exactly that. 

Illinois's Attorney General got it right in December. Now a multi-billion industry is hoping to end-run her legally sound reasoning. And Rep. Zalewski is carrying its water.

Daily sports fantasy should be legal. It should be regulated. It should be pumping millions into state coffers. It should be under the same public scrutiny leveled against any casino.

Illinoisans will find themselves with a losing hand, if the General Assembly tosses its chips at this "game of skill" farce. 

Local editorials represent the opinion of the Quad-City Times editorial board, which consists of Publisher Deb Anselm, Executive Editor Autumn Phillips, Editorial Page Editor Jon Alexander, City Editor Dan Bowerman, Associate Editor Bill Wundram and community representative John Wetzel.

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