MLB's Manfred, NBA's Silver Reaffirm Belief In Legality Of Daily Fantasy

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver today appeared together at a sports business forum organized by Turner Sports at the '16 CES in Las Vegas, each giving another strong endorsement for daily fantasy sports, currently. Both commissioners said they remain convinced that DFS represents a strong and legal form of fan engagement despite the ongoing political pushback. “It’s important that this industry has transparency and appropriate regulation,” Manfred said.

Silver went further, calling the skill-versus-chance debate surrounding DFS and fueling many of the ongoing lawsuits a “distraction” from a needed conversation around appropriate guidelines for the industry. “It’s a healthy form of entertainment,” he said of DFS. “It’s frankly a lot healthier than the alternative, which is illegal sports betting.” MLB is formally aligned with DraftKings and has equity in the company, while the NBA holds a similar relationship with FanDuel.