The NFL season has begun, and it seems like this year is brought to us by Fantasy Sports companies judging from the amount of commercials. In truth, there has been an increase in the number of commercials for pay-to-play fantasy leagues. I haven’t noticed these types of leagues before, though they have been around for sometime.
My son, Austin, loves playing fantasy football. He plays in a free league with family through Yahoo. But, his interest and the amount of commercials caused me to research these companies more. Here is some of the information I found out (see sources in footnotes):
- There are at least 22 daily fantasy sports sites paying out money and prizes to its participants. The two biggest, DraftKings and FanDuel, are valued at more than one billion each.
- The industry is currently considered legal being classified as a game of skill and not luck. This is a questionable verdict across the nation that is being debated in halls of congress and even in court. The industry seemed to take off after the online-poker industry was declared illegal in 2003, with many of these gamblers switching to fantasy sports.
- The average player spends about $465 on a fantasy team every year. FanDuel claims to distribute $3 million monthly to winners. The companies make a percentage off of every bet and pay out.
- What these sites do is allow players to bet with others on their fantasy teams. They are offered prizes and contests as well for entry fees. The industry has an annual economic impact of some $4 billion dollars. The industry has grown at a pace of 12% per year since 2007, and companies have been riding this to serious profits.
- The aim of the industry now is to pick up many of the Fantasy players who play free in family leagues. This year has seen them pumping record dollars into advertising.
Should a Christian be involved in gambling on these fantasy sports?
- While the U.S. government is currently allowing these fantasy sports to be conducted as legal games of skill, the Christian should consider the morally of involvement. While the definition of gambling can always be somewhat difficult, it seems that most observers would see this as some form of gambling.
- Since it is a form of gambling a Christian should consider the following:¹
- Am I being a good steward of God’s riches, which he has entrusted me, by gambling on this fantasy sport?
- Will my influence and reputation be harmed by being involved in such a game, when I could play for free without the gambling implications?
- Is this activity really about lust and greed for money? Do I see this as an easy way to get money without having to earn it?
- Is there a danger that this could open myself up to more forms of gambling or even risking large amounts of money on fantasy sports?
- My opinion in these matters is that it is not wise for a Christian to play in such a league. We should be aware of this increasingly growing industry. We need to be sure we make a distinction in the free leagues and the pay leagues in our own minds and in the minds of our kids.
What are your thoughts on these pay-for-play fantasy leagues that involve betting on your team?
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Three articles I used to gather data:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2012/09/19/should-gambling-on-fantasy-football-be-legal/
http://www.ksl.com/?sid=36726410&nid=148&title=when-does-fantasy-football-become-gambling
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_28878609/big-money-fantasy-football-attracts-fans-and-legal
¹ Verses to consider
There are many that speak to this topic, here are a few:
Greed – 1 Tim. 6:10; Heb. 13:5
Value of Work – Prov. 13:11; 23:5; Col. 3:23-25; 2 Thess. 3:10. Eph. 4:28
Mat. 6:24; 1 Cor. 8:9, 13
