Over the last two months the online gambling world has been focused almost exclusively on Daily Fantasy Sports, aka DFS.
Several states have come out against DFS and ruled it illegal gambling while others such as California are looking into regulating it.
While DFS and iPoker are very different the issue of regulation is not and supporters of California online poker sites need to be mindful of what's going on in the DFS world.
Below are a couple of ways DFS regulation could impact iPoker regulation in the United States.
1. DFS Regulation Could Pave Path to iPoker Regulation
California and Pennsylvania are leading the states that are actively exploring regulation rather than criminalization of DFS.
While both states are in the infancy of exploring the matter, it could prove important for other states considering online gambling expansion in the future.
Consider the billions in revenue that DFS will generate once regulated in the United States. Knowing state governments, once they get a taste of the revenue that online gambling can generate, they are going to want more.
This opens the door for online poker and general iGaming regulation. We aren't going to claim that casino games and online poker will outperform DFS but they will provide a solid supplemental gambling income to states desperate for tax revenue.
2. Some States May Consider Consolidation of iGaming Regulation
Another possibility for some states would be the consolidation of all online gambling forms.
Instead of only regulating DFS some states could forego drawing the process out and look into legalizing all forms of online gambling.
If you're going to regulate one form of gambling it's logical to at least entertain the idea of legalizing others.
The fact is that DFS is not for everyone. Many of us want to stick with online poker while others want to gamble at table games.
Argue luck vs. skill all you want but all iGaming activities involve some element of gambling and if you're going to regulate one, you should regulate all.
3. DFS Regulation Raises Awareness of iGaming Regulation
The old saying of "there's no such thing as bad publicity" applies when talking about DFS.
While the gambling world may be shifting its focus to DFS, the rest of the world is actually being educated about iGaming regulation.
With the stigma of "illegal gambling" being attached to DFS, the activity is being grouped (rightfully so) with online poker and casino games.
This is helping to bring additional attention to iGaming regulation throughout the United States.
While this backdoor approach may not be ideal, at least the word is getting out and this could reap long-term benefits for the iPoker industry.