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Daily fantasy sports cleared to resume in New York state

The New York State Gaming Commission today issued temporary permits to interactive fantasy sports operators DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo, FantasyDraft and Draft.

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DraftKings was offering games in NY within hours of the permits being announced. These are DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo, FantasyDraft and Draft.

“MLB pennant races are heating up, an exciting National Football League season is just around the corner and we are thrilled to be able to bring DraftKings back to millions of NY sports fans”, said Jason Robins, DraftKings CEO, in a statement.

FanDuel planned to begin offering its contests to players Monday night.

State regulators Monday approved the resumption of daily fantasy sports wagering in ny, nine months after companies began shutting down as they dealt with a legal challenge over whether their contests are illegal forms of betting.

“We want to thank Governor Cuomo and the NY legislature for bringing back our contests to millions of sports fans, which will be available to NY residents as of tonight”, FanDuel said in a statement. They pay entry fees and win prizes for outperforming other contestants’ rosters.

FanDuel, DraftKings and Yahoo shut down their NY operations this past March as part of an agreement with Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who had accused them of violating state gambling laws.

In June, the Senate and Assembly, in the face of opposition from anti-gambling advocates and the brick-and-mortar casino industry, defined the daily fantasy sports contests as legal “games of skill”, and placed new restrictions – plus imposition of taxes – on the companies.

“As the newly enacted law requires, the commission regulates all aspects of interactive fantasy sports, including ensuring the operators put important consumer protections in place”, state Gaming Commission Executive Director Robert Williams said. Betting on college sports, high school sports or horse racing is not permitted.

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The Gaming Commission continues to work on long-term regulations.

NYS Gaming Commission Announces DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo, Fantasy Draft and Draft May Operate in New York State