Fantasy sports industry says bill will put games on hold

“They didn’t take all the companies down and then have them restart again,” he said.

The industry estimates there are roughly 600,000 people in the state who play fantasy sports contests, which typically involve players building teams of professional athletes and earning points based on how those athletes perform in real-life games. The vast majority of fantasy sports players, however, don’t play with a company and pay entry fees.

Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull said the agency is “actively working on regulations” simultaneously for fantasy sports, sports betting and internet lottery, based on the proposed legislation. The bill does not set a deadline for when the regulations need to be completed.

Last week, the state House of Representatives voted 122-to-21 in favor of a long-awaited gambling agreement that the Democratic governor his administration reached in March with the state’s two federally recognized Native American tribes. It creates a new framework for legalizing and regulating in-person and online sports wagering, online casino gambling, in-person and online keno, online lottery draw games and fantasy sports.

Ultimately the 10-year deal, which essentially authorizes the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribes and the Connecticut Lottery Corporation to operate these games, will need approval by the U.S. Department of Interior.