The Fantasy Sports Trade Association hired its first federal lobbyist as part of a political campaign to protect its financial interests and expand into states that ban betting (even on fictitious teams). Now fantasy sports have officially joined real-world politics.
Fantasy sports leagues exist in a variety of sports including football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and more. In these leagues, fans can create simulated teams of real-life players who will compete for fictional franchises. They are a huge part of American sports and grow more in popularity and size with each year and season.
Travis McCoy signed on to lobby on behalf of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association in May, saying, “We’re trying to let people play and have fun.”
McCoy was an aide to House Speaker John Boehner and treasurer of the association’s newly formed PAC. He is also an avid fantasy football, baseball, basketball and hockey player, so he understands what this type of sport really means to the fan.
US sports fantasy sites drew 312 million hits last month with the start of the National Football League regular season, an increase of 12% over September 2010, according to Matt Tatham of Experian Hitwise. Fantasy sports generate an estimated $2 billion per year and are played by more than 30 million people.
Let the facts and figures show us how popular fantasy sports are. There are TV shows and websites dedicated to it, experts on the subject, and now even a political lobbyist. Nearly a dozen states still have laws against gambling and prizes offered through fantasy sports and the organization hopes to change that.
So far $6,000 has been spent on the lobby, but Louis M. Maione, CEO of RotoMedia, says it’s just the beginning. Although fantasy sports already have large numbers, they are only now entering popular culture. In the years to come, we can expect to see many more people on board.
As a fan, this is great news as the lobby will aim to repeal laws that prevent players and owners from winning prizes in many states and work to make it more mainstream and acceptable, just like regular professional sports.
With someone lobbying for this cause, what would you ask for? What would you like to see changed with the existing laws and regulations surrounding fantasy sports?
