NFL Fantasy Football Betting
Becoming the most popular played activity in the US, NFL fantasy football betting provides excitement to casual and dedicated fans of the sport. Some fantasy players are not fans of any team while some enjoy the sport so much they cannot decide a favorite. This gathering of people who are focused solely on athletes’ production creates for an anticipated and entertaining atmosphere. It is estimated that nearly 60 million people in the US and Canada participate in the hobby and attribute over $500 in league dues. Some leagues hold prize pools while there are many that are free to join as well.
Aside from season-long fantasy football, there is also the ability for daily fantasy sports (DFS). Like the season-long version, players draft a team of athletes to score as many points as possible while sticking to a seperate set of parameters. Before diving into the structure of the two types of NFL fantasy football betting, it is important to understand the laws regarding the industry. With a solid understanding of its legality, you'll see why are different but equally as exciting as NFL betting sites.
Once a bettor has decided on a sportsbook, it's time to create a new account and sign up to start the NFL online betting process.
Is NFL Fantasy Football Betting Legal In The US?
Operators like DraftKings and FanDuel have encouraged the spread of DFS and immediately caused many states to wonder if this activity was legal. On the federal level, NFL Fantasy Football and all forms of DFS are legal within the United States though some states do not allow for it. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) is a law that prohibits banks from transferring money regarding online gambling; however, DFS is considered a game of skill and has a different payout/prize structure than sports betting. This prompted a UIGEA carve-out which reduced the enforcement from banks and exempted DFS from being considered an unlawful wager.
States That Do Not Allow Daily Fantasy Sports
There are only a handful of states that have banned fantasy sports due to various reasons. The four states that have completely outlawed DFS and consider it an illegal act are:
- Arizona
- Iowa
- Montana
- Washington
There are also potential legal ramifications that keep operators from accepting players of other states as well. The respective Attorney General Offices in Alabama, Hawaii, Idaho, and Nevada have issued unfavorable legal opinions toward fantasy sports contests. Though it may not be considered illegal in these states, the opportunity for participating isn’t available. The list of approved and unapproved states constantly changes as regulations, laws, and government opinions influence the operators’ decisions to stay or go.
What’s The Difference Between NFL Fantasy Football & Sports Betting?
While both can be seen as a game of skill, everyone views sports betting as a form of gambling while the payout structure and outcome-based athlete performance remove DFS from being considered gambling. Sports betting is a wager against a bookmaker in the result or situation of a game. The outlook of NFL fantasy football betting being a game of skill comes from players having to select suitable athletes within a salary cap and research their potential abilities. A pool is created and players are positioned against each other rather than against “the house” which also helps the DFS case for not being considered gambling.
How NFL Fantasy Football Betting Works
NFL fantasy football betting is a popular hobby that consists of a draft, a season, and a championship to determine whose team scored the most points. The fun comes in when team managers trade their picks or athletes in attempts to fortify their lineup. Leagues of 10 or 12 are the standard and points are awarded for each yard earned, touchdown score, and more. Not every league is structured the same way as rules and policies may differ as well as some leagues make points easy to attain while others do not.
Season-long structure
The season-long structure is wonderful when you are in a league with people who are looking to play for more than one year. As the season progresses, a team with a winning record is highly interested but a team with a losing record might have already checked-out. The ability to play for next year always keeps the motivation and attention to the game. There are many payout opportunities you can have with season-long fantasy sports: most points scored in a game, best record, most point scored in a week, division winners, and many more.
DFS structure
If you are not in a league that will be continuing through the offseason or don’t like being stuck with certain players every week, then daily fantasy is the structure for you. This method allows for a draft before each game or set of games as you have the ability to draft any active player as long as you keep it under a pre-set salary cap. DFS allows for fans to prove they know football by selecting lesser value athletes who will be just as valuable as the more expensive ones. Look out though because the high target athletes aren’t always worth top dollar.
Best Sites For NFL Fantasy Football Betting
NFL fantasy football betting is popular whether executing it on paper between friends or with an online operator. The operators are all licensed, safe to use, and ensure both you and they are within their rights and legality. By using geo-fencing technology at NFL betting sites to locate your mobile device, they make sure you are within state lines of a pro-DFS state and able to wager. The three most popular sites are DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo!.
DraftKings is the largest provider of DFS in North America. They offer a variety of games from smaller competitions like 50/50 and Head-to-Head to larger structures such as qualifiers, leagues, and multiple entry pools. They provide icons next to every user to determine whether they are an experienced or new player to keep the playing field even. While you can access through their website, they have seen major improvements on their app which is available to any iOS platform version 7.0 or later. With over ten different sports leagues to participate in, there is no shortage of daily fantasy sports fun with this operator.
If DraftKings is listed 1a, then FanDuel is rated as 1b. They are on the same quality level ensuring customer service and fairness is provided to all players. FanDuel has resources for players called numberFire and The Duel to allow you to research your picks before entering into a contest. They also limit the contests for different ranked players to keep it even and even have single game contests where your research is limited to only that game. FanDuel provides football fans with numerous ways to participate in fantasy contests all season long.
Yahoo Sports have entered the DFS game as well and host events costing nothing at all to over $10,000 for the entry fee. Creating an account is super easy and adding funds is even easier as you can link your PayPal account. Yahoo also posts their sports news in their research tab to keep you updated on every situation regarding athletes, teams, and advice. Yahoo has followed suit and keeps veterans in their own category for certain events so beginning players don’t get overwhelmed by the experienced players. With all of the benefits of NFL fantasy football betting that Yahoo provides, you will see that you can entertain yourself no matter which operator you use.
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