鈥?A new daily fantasy sports game that lets users hone in on
a single NFL playoff game has some gambling experts wondering if the contest
inches the industry closer to the territory of sports betting that remains
illegal in most of the United States.The “Showdown” variant offered by leading
fantasy sports company DraftKings allows users to pick six athletes from two
teams playing against each other in a real-life football game
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stats like touchdowns, receptions and yards passing, rushing or receiving. That
means users playing “Showdown” this weekend can wager on performances in the
Jaguars-Steelers game Sunday without having to wait for the Saints-Vikings game
to play out several hours later.The 2006 federal law that effectively banned
online gambling but gave rise to daily fantasy sports requires daily fantasy
contests to be based on the performances of athletes in “multiple real-world”
sporting events 鈥?not just single games. That detail is leading some advocates
to question how DraftKings and regulators operate.“This new game continues the
industry trend of trying to get as close as possible to single game betting,”
said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem
Gambling, which is neutral on legalized gambling but pushes for strong
regulations and consumer protections.Whyte said the games “further blur the
largely fictional line between daily fantasy sports and sports
betting.”DraftKings says the federal law 鈥?the Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act 鈥?only applies if there’s an underlying violation of state
gambling statutes first, and, so far, no state has objected to the
competition.State laws vary widely, but policymakers in 18 states responded to
the industry’s popularity by legalizing and regulating daily fantasy sports.
Many of those regulations were developed with heavy lobbying from DraftKings and
other industry leaders. Daily fantasy companies largely avoid another 10 states
where laws are worded in ways that make it more difficult to operate.“This act
is basically irrelevant. Everything defaults to state law now,” said Anthony
Cabot, the company’s outside legal counsel, referring to the federal law that
the industry has long cited for justifying its existence. “If it’s not in
violation of state law, then there’s no violation of the federal act. It’s a big
red herring.”The Boston-based company has also offered contests for other
one-off events like NASCAR races and golf tournaments since 2015
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added.Daniel Etna, a New York sports lawyer who closely follows the sports
gambling industry, said the game appears to comply with most if not all new
state laws approved in recent years to legalize and regulate daily fantasy
sports.“Contests like these push the very fine line between fantasy sports
contests and general sports wagering,” said Jay McDaniel, deputy director of the
Mississippi Gaming Commission. “It does, however, fall within our law’s
definition of a fantasy contest.”In New York, the state Gaming Commission
determined in December that the contest was legal because it’s based off how
individual players perform in the game, and not the “score, point spread or
team’s performance,” said commission spokesman Brad Maione.One key is that
“Showdown” requires users to pick at least one player from each team in a single
game. So fans choosing from the Titans-Patriots game on Saturday can’t just
stack their lineup with Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and other New England stars
without any Tennessee players.Jeffrey Ifrah, a Washington-based attorney
specializing in online gambling
http://www.panthersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-donte-jackson-jersey ,
isn’t convinced there’s much appetite to enforce the laws, even if there was a
conflict. Many of the new fantasy sports laws don’t even require states to
approve new contests.“None of these states really thought about this,” he said.
“They were given these laws to pass and they did it. There wasn’t a lot of
legislative debate.”The U.S. Supreme Court is also weighing a bid by New Jersey
to overturn the sports betting ban in effect in all but four states (Delaware,
Montana, Nevada and Oregon). A favorable ruling this year could make
handwringing over daily fantasy sports moot.“We would only look into a
particular game if we received a complaint about it, which we have not in this
case,” said Edward Grewach, general counsel for the Missouri Gaming
Commission.“We do not require review of every new game, so no, we have not
looked into it,” said Elaine Lidholm, a spokeswoman for Virginia’s Department of
Agriculture and Consumer Services, which oversees the industry.The single-game
format could have implications beyond the early rounds of the NFL playoffs,
where eight teams play in each of the first two weeks and four teams play during
the conference championships. DraftKing’s chief rival
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“exciting plans” for the Super Bowl, the most gambled on single game in the
world.If successful during the NFL playoffs, variants like “Showdown” could
extend into the regular season next year and even potentially be offered for
single games in other sports.Follow Philip Marcelo at The Buffalo Bills put
themselves in a better position to fill a big need at quarterback in the draft.
The Cincinnati Bengals added much-needed protection for their own franchise
quarterback, Andy Dalton.
The Bills moved up nine spots in the draft by swapping first-round picks with
the Bengals, who also acquired high-priced left tackle Cordy Glenn in a trade
Monday, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to The AP on the condition of anonymity because teams are
not allowed to announce trades until the NFL's new business year opens
Wednesday. Buffalo moved up to the No. 12 spot in the draft by trading the first
of its two opening-round selections, 21st overall. The Bills also have the No.
22 pick.
Buffalo also traded its fifth-round pick (158th overall) for the Bengals'
sixth-round selection (187th) as part of the Bills' second major trade in three
days. On Friday, Buffalo traded starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor to Cleveland
for a third-round pick.
The moves helped place the Bills in a position to use one of their
first-round picks to draft a quarterback. The Bills have the assets to move up
even higher in the draft order by having two picks in each of the first three
rounds.
Nathan Peterman, a fifth-round pick last year, is the only quarterback on the
roster.
General manager Brandon Beane has said he intends to land a franchise
quarterback through either the draft, a trade or in free agency.
Beane has paid close attention to what is considered a top-heavy draft class
of quarterbacks. He has said he planned to meet with all the draft-eligible
quarterback prospects.
The offensive line is Cincinnati's biggest focus in the offseason. The
offense finished last in the league in large measure because its line couldn't
protect Dalton or open holes for the running backs.
The Bengals ranked 20th in allowing 40 sacks and 31st in yards rushing last
year.
Cedric Ogbuehi took over at left tackle after Andrew Whitworth was allowed to
leave as a free agent a year ago. Andre Smith was signed from Minnesota to play
right tackle, which was Ogbuehi's spot. The arrangement didn't work.
Offensive line coach Paul Alexander was fired after the season, indicating an
overhaul was coming on the line.
Glenn has been a Bills starter since being selected in the second round of
the 2012 draft. He was limited to six games last year due to a left-foot injury
that eventually required surgery. He also hurt his right ankle.
When healthy Chad Thomas
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run blocking. He was part of a Bills team that led the NFL in yards rushing in
both 2015 and '16.
Dion Dawkins is in position to replace Glenn as the starter after filling in
as a rookie last season. The Bills still have a need at center after Eric Wood
was diagnosed with a career-ending neck injury in January.
Trading Glenn also solves yet another salary-cap related issue Beane
inherited upon replacing Doug Whaley, who was fired a day after last year's
draft concluded.
Glenn has three years left on a $65 million contract he signed in 2016, and
is due to make a $9.25 million base salary this season. Despite being traded, a
portion of Glenn's bonus money will count against the Bills' salary cap this
season.
Beane has taken a bold approach to reshaping the Bills through trades.
On the same day in August, he traded starting receiver Sammy Watkins to the
Los Angeles Rams and starting cornerback Ronald Darby to Philadelphia. In
October, the Bills traded their highest-paid player, defensive tackle Marcell
Dareus, to Jacksonville for a sixth-round pick.
The depletion of talent didn't hamper the Bills from finishing 9-7 and making
the playoffs to end a 17-year drought, which had been the longest active streak
in North America's four major professional sports.
AP sports writer Joe Kay
contributed to this report.
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