Albany, NY - December 9, 2015 - Assemblyman Dean Murray (R,C,I-East Patchogue) was in Albany yesterday to attend a hearing examining daily fantasy sports in New York and give testimony as a DraftKings account owner himself.
“I disagree with the attorney general’s assertion that these daily fantasy contests are games of chance rather than games of skill,” said Murray. “I firmly believe that when you participate in daily fantasy sports contests, knowledge is your skill. The more research you do and the more knowledgeable that you are about the sport, the teams and the players, the more skillfully you will play the game. As a result, I believe there is no question that you will have a much better chance of winning. Such is also the case in the stock market and day trading. In my opinion, daily fantasy sports are the equivalent of day trading for sports fans.”
The attorney general is seeking an injunction preventing DraftKings and FanDuel from taking player entries from New York, while the two companies are requesting court orders to protect their business in New York State. All sides are currently awaiting a court ruling from State Supreme Court Justice Manuel Mendez. In the meantime, Murray has introduced legislation (A-8588) that would amend the penal law to remove fantasy sports from being deemed "games of chance," which would keep them legal in New York. Murray has also said he fully believes that the industry should have the proper oversight and should be regulated.