Texas attorney general: Daily fantasy sports sites likely illegal

Daily fantasy sports websites are likely illegal in Texas, the state’s attorney general said in an opinion issued Tuesday.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote that “odds are favorable that a court would conclude that participation in paid daily fantasy sports leagues constitutes illegal gambling.”

Paxton said in Texas it’s illegal to wager on the “partial or final result of a game or contest or on the performance of a participant in a game or contest.”

Legal opinions from the attorney general are nonbinding when it comes to determining the ultimate legality, but courts do take the opinions into consideration when making any rulings.

Websites like DraftKings and FanDuel are well known to sports fans with their impossible to escape advertisements during sporting events on television. But they’ve come under fire by multiple states’ attorney generals.

New York is the most high-profile state to go after the daily fantasy sites. The state and two companies have been engaged in a legal battle since the fall, with an initial ruling that the companies would have to stop business in the state. But an appellate court ruled last week the two could continue operating.

Nevada banned daily fantasy from operating in October. Five other states have also banned residents from playing – Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Washington.

DraftKings and FanDuel took in an estimated $3 billion last year, according to the Associated Press.