Gamblers Anonymous Mulls Adding Fantasy Sports To Guidance Book

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Tuesday, September 15th, 2015 | Written by Shane Larson

Online fantasy sports sites work hard to separate themselves from sports betting. They highlight the fact that it takes skill and knowledge to put together a winning team, so the outcome isn’t left to chance, unlike a straight bet on who will take home the victory of a particular game. The industry is big business, too, and the two biggest daily fantasy sports (DFS) operators in the US, DraftKings and FanDuel, are currently worth more than $1 billion a piece. However, the industry has come under increasing scrutiny recently, forcing the two companies to issue a joint statement explaining:

“We are speaking with gaming industry representatives to educate them on the fantasy sports industry as our products are games of skill; fundamentally separate from, and not competitive with casinos and gaming businesses.”

Nevertheless, a possible move by Gamblers Anonymous now threatens to blur further that line between sports betting and fantasy sports that gaming companies have worked so hard to draw.

What Is Gamblers Anonymous?

For those who don’t know, Gamblers Anonymous is a 12-step program that is much like Alcoholics Anonymous. The program is free and open to anyone who is willing to concede that they have a problem with gambling. Those who join receive sponsors to guide them through the 12-step process and attend regular meetings to get support from other people who are experiencing the same things.

The Gamblers Anonymous Recovery Guide List

A big part of the Gamblers Anonymous program is avoiding activities that could feed an addiction to gamble. To help members abstain from these potentially harmful activities, the organization publishes a list in their official recovery guide of things that the experts at Gamblers Anonymous consider to be potentially “problematic” for those recovering from a gambling addiction. Of course, all games of chance are included in the listing, but traditional forms of gambling are not the only things featured on the list. Stock and commodities trading and even friendly sports pools are featured.

Gamblers Anonymous Considers Fantasy Sports

Recently, the spokesperson for Gamblers Anonymous shared with an NBC news affiliate that the group is currently considering whether fantasy sports should be added to the list of activities to avoid in its official recovery guide. The representative explained that there is a lot of support for adding fantasy sports to the list, and that discussions about the possible dangers of sites like FanDuel and DraftKings have been taking place since their launch. Needless to say, rather than trying to dispel concerns, both DFS operators have only fanned the debate further by their aggressive advertising campaigns over the years. FanDuel, for instance, aired a commercial in which a player’s testimonial stated:

“After I played the first time, I was hooked.”

Commercials such as these can only serve to alarm opposition groups, and those calling out for DFS to be classed as gambling. After all, can you imagine any casinos, either online or land-based, airing an advert stating you’ll be hooked after trying out their slots, table games, or other products.

What a Move From Gamblers Anonymous Could Mean

We won’t know whether or not Gamblers Anonymous will elect to add fantasy sports to their list until the group holds an official vote on the subject, but industry insiders are already concerned about what the effects of an affirmative vote could be. There is a fear that placing fantasy sports on a list that also includes sports betting will negatively impact the public perception of the industry. Activists could even rally and start calling for the regulation of sites like DraftKings and FanDuel.

The Future of Fantasy Sports

Even if Gamblers Anonymous does end up classifying fantasy sports as a potentially risky behavior, those who participate on popular sites likely won’t have to worry about a federal ban. That said, following the kick-off of the NFL season Rep. Frank Pallone, the Representative from New Jersey, stated:

“Anyone who watched a game this weekend was inundated by commercials for fantasy sports websites, and it’s only the first week of the NFL season. Despite how mainstream these sites have become.. the legal landscape governing these activities remains murky and should be reviewed.”

Meanwhile, some US states are starting to consider whether or not to ban sites or at least regulate them. Finally, while you can expect fantasy sports to survive an affirmative vote by Gamblers Anonymous, but you may find it harder to play where you live sometime in the near future.