Mifsud1

IanMifsud
Mrs.Gardner
English/Period6
9May2016
FanDuelandDraftKings:DuelsofGamblingKingpins
Fantasysportsleagues:competitivefun,ordestructivegambling?Thelinehasbecome
immenselyblurredbecauseoftherisingpopularityofshorttermleagues,suchasDraftKings,
andFanDuel.Despitetraditionalfantasysportsbeingverymuchaliveandwelltoday,theypale
inpopularitytothenewfantasycompaniesbeingestablished.Thesenewleagueslastranging
fromonedaytooneweek,unliketraditionalseasonlongleagues,andfocuspurelyontheaspect
ofmoney.Thesenewleaguesknownothingoftheintegritywhichtraditionalleaguespertainto,
andarelittlemorethanconduitsforAmericans,ofallages,todevelopgamblingaddictions,
legally.Thisrealityisanalarmingoneindeed,perhapsevenmorealarmingisthefactthatitis
beingencouraged.AllovertheTV,andtheInternet,areadvertisementspromotingthisnewform
ofgambling,effectively.Winmillions,theysay,injustaweekend!Unfortunately,thereis
moretotheseclaimsthanmeetstheeye.Aculturewhichpromotesgamblingisadangerousone
indeed:nothingisstable,everythingisuncertain,andtheriskisalwaysfargreaterthanthe
reward.Totopallthisoff,itsabsolutelylegal.InAmerica,thelegalityofgamblingisleft
completelyuptoeachstatesgovernmentinveryfewstatesisgamblingcompletelylegal,and
also,inveryfewstatesisgamblingcompletelyillegal.Inthemajorityofstates,commercial
gamblingisillegal,however,tribalgambling,lotterygambling,andonlinegamblingislegal.
Withalloftheseexceptions,gamblingmightaswellbelegalizedintheUnitedStates.Itis

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apparentthatthelawshouldberevised,andshorttermfantasysportsleaguesshouldbeincluded
inthisrevision.Theyarebasedpurelyoffofchance,andcanleadtoseriousfinancialproblems,
aswellasaddictions,andthisisnofantasy.
Supportersofthesefantasyleaguessaytheyaremerelyforfun,theyarebynomeans
gamblingnordangerousfinancially,andtheyarebasedsolelyuponskill.Accordingto
Atlanta
Journal
writer,AndrewBillings,thereissometruthtothesestatements,Ninetypercentof
playersspendfiftydollarsorlessonfantasyeveryyear,andhalfplayforabsolutelyfree,
(Billings).Furthermore,theUnlawfulGamblingEnforcementActof2006createdanexception
fortraditionalfantasyparticipation,arguingthatthesegamesinordinatelyfocusonskillrather
thanluck,(Billings).Tosummarize,supportersofshorttermfantasysportsleaguesbelieve
theyarelawful,andnotfinanciallynorsociallyharmful.Indeed,thevastmajorityoffantasy
sportsplayersputverylittlemoneyintotheirleagues,anditistruethattheirplayingisnot
unlawfulhowever,theseshorttermfantasysportsleaguesarerelativelynew,andalthoughthey
arenotyetclassifiedasgambling,theymostdefinitelysupportit.Therefore,thepromotionof
legalgamblingcreatestheenvironmentwhichwilldrawmoreplayers,andwithmoreplayers
comesmorecompetition,andwithmorecompetitioncomesaddiction,andwithaddictioncomes
irrationalspending.Thedangermaynotbeuponusinthepresent,butitwillbeinthenear
future.
Admittedly,mostoftheworlddoesnotviewonlinefantasysportsleaguesasdangerously
addictive.Nevertheless,fantasysportsarechangingandarebecomingfarmoreaddictivethan
thetraditional,andfamiliar,seasonlongfantasyleagues.Thereasoningbehindthisrealityis
simplythedesireforinstantgratification.
USAToday
writer,DavidSack,assertsthatintodays

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world,instantgratificationiscentraltooursociety(Sack).Sackalsoclarifiesthatdelayed
reward,suchasthesixmonthwaityouusedtohavetoseehowyourfantasysportsteamhad
done,doesnotlenditselftoanaddictioncycle.Immediatereward,suchaswenowhavewith
fantasygamesthatstartandendwithinadayoraweek,does,(Sack).Insummation,Sack
arguesthatprolongedgratification,suchasaseasonlongfantasysportsleague,doesnotgive
addictiongroundtoform(Sack)whereasinstantgratification,suchasaonedayoraoneweek
league,does.Anaddictioncyclenotonlycallsforalargequantityofsomething,italso
progressivelycallsforahigherandhigherqualityofthatthing.Itissimplyevolution.Inour
earlydaysofexistence,foodhadtobehuntedandgathered,sometimesoveralongperiodof
time,andourancestorsdidjustthat.Almosteverytime,therewardforthatdelayedgratification
wasmerelyaslabofdecayingmeat,orahandfulofwildberries,andsuchplainnutritionsuited
ourancestors.Today,therearemouthwateringdelightseverywhereweturn.Itisaformof
instantgratificationthatweareaccustomedto,andwiththequestionofquantitymostdefinitely
answered,ourpreferenceofqualitymustbeansweredaswell.Throughoutourliveswehave
evolvedtohavepreferences,anditisthesepreferenceswhichweareaddictedtoifthose
preferencesaren'tmet,itsimplywon'tsuitus.Whetheritisfood,drink,orfantasysports,we
haveourpreferencesforjustabouteverything.Afterplayingshorttermfantasysportsforatime,
onewillmostlikelydevelopatasteforhigherstakesoverlowerstakes,andhigherpayouts
overlowerpayouts,justasonemaydevelopatasteforhamburgersovercelery.Such
developmentistheformationofanunhealthyaddiction,anditonlygetsworse.
Eventually,theaddictiontohigherstakes,andpayouts,willleadtodetrimentalfinancial
crises.Toillustratethispoint,thefeeforasinglegameonDraftKingsisanywherefromfiveto

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tendollarsupfront(Alan).Toputthatintoperspective,MajorLeagueBaseball,whichisoneof
DraftKingssmostprominentpartners,hasthirtyteams.Everydayduringtheseason,usually
twentyeightormoreoftheseteamsfaceoneanother,meaningtherearefourteentofifteenball
gameseveryday.Tosimplyplayonegameoffantasybaseball,onemustdepositanywherefrom
fivetotendollars.Towinbig,asDraftKingsadvertises,onehasthebestchancetodosoby
playinginasmanyofthosefourteentofifteengamesaspossible.Thismeansthatanaddict
lookingforthehighestqualitypayoutwilldojustthat,andthatfivetotendollardepositquickly
multiplies.CNBCreporter,DrewCasey,statesthatDraftKingsearnedmorethanthreehundred
milliondollarsoffofentryfeeslastyear,(Casey).Thatismorethananastonishingeight
milliondollarseverydayjustfromentryfees.Obviously,theaddictionfactorisrampant,and
combinedwithhowmuchisbeingspentonthisaddiction,theperfectformulaforfinancial
collapseiscreated.
Ultimately,theseshorttermfantasysportsleagues,despitewhatmostsay,arebasedpurely
offofchance,notskill,thereforebeinggambling.Themostprominent,andironic,proofofthis
statementbeingvalidisprovidedbynoneotherthanthecompany,DraftKings,itself.In
DraftKingscommercials,thecompanysmainclaimtofameisitssimplicity.Suchclaimis
demonstratedthroughtheirinstructionsonhowtouseDraftKings:Pickaleague,pickyour
players,pickupyourcash!Whereistheskillinvolved?Onemightarguethatskillisinvolved
whenselectingwhichplayerstobeton,basedonrecentperformanceandpredictionsforfuture
performance.Thispointiswelltaken,however,therearesportsanalyststhatarepaidtodothis
exactthing,andtheseanalysesareallovertheInternet.ZacharyThompson,asportswriterand
analystforFanSidedpublishedhisFanDuelpicksfortheupcomingweekofNBAPlayoffs.

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CheckoutmyFanDueldailypicksonthefollowingslides,imploresThompson,mygoaleach
dayistogiveyoutheinformationyouneedtobuildyourownlineupthatcanbringhomeawin
foryourteam,(Thompson).Theinformationoneneedsisinblackandwhiteoncountlesssports
websitesmadebytopnotchanalysts,therefore,skillisnofactoratall.Onecantakewhatan
expertsays,betonit,andhopethattheexpertwascorrectinhispredictions.Thisinformation
clearlyshowsthatskillplaysnoroleinbeingsuccessful,orunsuccessful,inshorttermfantasy
sports.Theseonlineleaguesarenodifferentfromplayinghighstakespoker,inaLasVegas
casino.
Inconclusion,shorttermfantasysportsleaguesshouldbebannedbecauseitcanbeseverely
addictive,becauseitisdangeroustoonesfinancialsituation,andbecauseitclearlybasedoffof
luckandnotskill,thereforebeinggambling.Therearelawshowevertransparentandinneedof
revisionintheUnitedStatesongamblingforareason:itissimplytoodangerousandfartoo
riskytobekeptunrestricted.Anentiresocietywheregamblingisblatantlyencouragedand
promotedwillnotlast,thatiswhythereisonlyoneLasVegas.therisksofshorttermfantasy
sportsleaguesarebynomeansfantasy,andifonegivesthemthepowertotakeovertheirlives,
theymostdefinitelywill.Traditionalfantasyleaguesarebyfarsuperior,aremuchmorehealthy,
aremuchmorefun,andarethebestchoiceforonetoenjoyfantasysportspurelyforthe
experience,andnotforthemoney.

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WorksCited
Alan,Robert."HowMuchDoesDraftKingsCost?"OnlinePokerUpdate.USALegalOnline
Poker,3Sept.2014.Web.5May2016.

Billings,AndrewC."FantasySports:MoreSkill,LessLuck."AtlantaJournalConstitution.24
Dec.2015:A.10.SIRSIssuesResearcher.Web.25Apr.2016.
Casey,Drew."HowtoBecomeaMillionaireplayFantasySports!"CNBC.CNBC,20Sept.
2015.Web.5May2016.

Danielson,Jeff,andJakeHighfill."FreeFantasySportsfromHeavyHandedLaws."DesMoines
Register.26Mar.2015:19.SIRSIssuesResearcher.Web.25Apr.2016.
Sack,David."ThisAddictiontoGamblingIsNoFantasy."USAToday(Farmingdale).Jan.
2016:M5052.SIRSIssuesResearcher.Web.25Apr.2016.

St.Amant,Mark."TheFantasySportsNonScandal."NewYorkTimes.17Oct.2015:A.23.
SIRSIssuesResearcher.Web.25Apr.2016.

Stinson,Scott."SuggestingFantasyFootballIsNotGamblingIsMere...Fantasy."Vancouver
Sun.17Sep.2015:D.9.SIRSIssuesResearcher.Web.25Apr.2016.

Thompson,Zachary."FanDuelDailyPicks:FantasyBasketballLineupMay4."FanSided.
FanSided,4May2016.Web.5May2016.

Zorn,Eric."TheGrimRealityofFantasySports."ChicagoTribune.16Sep.2015:23.SIRS
IssuesResearcher.Web.25Apr.2016.