While the daily fantasy industry continues to push for legal clarity in the United States, its largest operator is preparing to expand its international footprint. In the first weeks of 2017, 11 states — Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington — have introduced legislation aimed at regulating fantasy sports. Lobbying efforts are ongoing in more than a dozen additional states. But, for now, only 21.4 percent of the U.S. population lives in a state where daily fantasy is regulated, according to a research study by industry trade publication GamblingCompliance. Meanwhile, daily fantasy…

A senior Democratic Energy and Commerce source has confirmed to Legal Sports Report that the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade is planning a May 11 hearing on daily fantasy sports. That committee is housed within the Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Fred Upton (R-MI). Frank Pallone (D-NJ) is the ranking Democratic member. Both Michigan and New Jersey have considered legislative answers to the daily fantasy sports question in their state legislatures. Pallone has been vocal on the issue of DFS, using the explosion of interest in the product as a platform to draw attention to New Jersey’s efforts…

It’s been a busy week for fantasy sports in America, with several states starting to consider the legality of the activity. Some states are thinking about regulation, while others still believe the restrictive, prohibitive path is best for them. Here are some updates from around the nation: Florida moves to legalize fantasy sports The Florida Legislature put its stamp on a plan to legalize daily fantasy sports games Wednesday as two key committees approved a plan to impose regulations on the sport that mirrors the way the state regulates arcade games. But as lawmakers attempted to clarify one gaming issue,…

Canadian online gambling operator Amaya Gaming has officially launched its new daily fantasy sports site StarsDraft.com. Amaya acquired DFS operator Victiv last month and previewed its intention to eventually rebrand the outfit as StarsDraft. Now, on the same day that Tom Brady learned he’d be suiting up for the Patriots when the NFL season kicks off next Thursday, Victiv players learned they’d now be picking NFL lineups on StarsDraft. StarsDraft has reassured players that Victiv’s original management will continue to operate the site but the site is “in the process of integrating the operational expertise of Amaya/PokerStars through many areas…

While U.S. players impatiently wait for the New Jersey government to get off its ass and approve PokerStars’ internet gaming license, the world’s largest online poker room has made a move to get back into the U.S. gaming market. Amaya Gaming, PokerStars’ parent company, announced today that it has purchased Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) site Victiv.com for an undisclosed dollar amount. The move was previewed in the spring when Amaya Gaming CEO David Baazov said on an earnings call that his company planned to get into the DFS industry before the National Football League (NFL) season started. “We have also…