Fantasy sports is one of the most realistic genres in the entertainment world.
The plot is based on real sporting events. Players are assigned the role of team managers. They recruit the composition to their taste, while all the characters are written off from real athletes. And then there is a competition between the teams. The success of each participant is measured by points. The manager whose team has the most points is the winner.
Fantasy sports have long conquered the US and Canadian markets. In these states, every sixth gamer is a fan of this genre, and prize funds amount to tens of millions of dollars. Soon, fantasy sports began their triumphal march across the EU countries. Most European users liked to play virtual football.
Computer games based on real sports events continue to conquer the world.
- Seasonal. They are held in the form of a championship. Lengthy in time.
- Daily .This is a match or tour that lasts a maximum of one day.
And some statistics. For 3 years, the fantasy sports market has recorded incredible growth, the previous figure has increased 10 times. According to experts, in 2017, the income amounted to $1 billion.
Why is fantasy sports so popular?
The very first reason is emotions, or rather a whole range of amazing experiences that each participant experiences during the game. These sensations cannot be compared with those experienced by fans during matches. If, being in the stands, the spectator cannot influence the situation, then here everyone forges the victory of his favorite team. And dynamism, speed do not let you get bored and contribute to the release of adrenaline. A real find for a gambler.
The second reason is that each player has a chance to win a large sum of money. The fact that the number of participants in the tournament is large contributes to the formation of impressive prize pools. For example, $80 billion was invested in FanDuel, which occupies one of the leading positions in the market. Together with DraftKings, she is the official sponsor of the world’s favorite sports clubs:
- NBA
- NHL;
- MLB
- NASCAR.
Bottom line: fantasy sports are exciting, fashionable, and excitingly interesting. It is also a good way to earn money without being distracted from your favorite game.
How does the law treat fantasy sports?
Over the past 10 years, fantasy sports has gone from a simple game to a large business project that brings in big profits. True, it is still far from the revenue indicators that sports betting brings every year.
The development of any gaming industry depends on the conditions that the state creates. But in the laws of many states there is still no such definition as “fantasy sports”. The rules for this area have not been worked out and are not spelled out, which means that there are no tools for the full regulation of virtual sports games yet.
In countries where the activities of bookmakers are at least partially legalized, the fantasy genre is less popular than in the United States, where sports betting is banned.True, there is a “but” here: bets are allowed, but fantasy sports are not popular. Instead, users prefer playing in gaming clubs. This is probably because it is much easier to get a no deposit bonus at a casino than on bets or fantasy.
Fantasy sports tournaments were not classified as gambling
After the fantasy industry began to bring billions in profits, the authorities of some states made attempts to ban tournaments. But there is also a positive trend: as of 2017, games have become legal in 15 states.
Is fantasy sports gambling or not?
There is no single answer to this question. Discussions, including among legislators, have been going on for a long time.
According to some, fantasy tournaments are purely a competition of skill. In order to achieve success, the player needs to know well what this or that athlete is capable of, to be confident in his capabilities.
But on the other hand, real users take part in the game. No matter how much knowledge a gamer has about his character, no matter what strategy he builds, he cannot be 100% sure that his calculations are correct. In fantasy sports, the risks are high, and the element of chance is not excluded. These are the features inherent in the games in which casino visitors fight among themselves. And if we take into account that at the end of the tournament the winner receives a large cash reward, then fantasy sports can be classified as gambling entertainment.