Statement from FanDuel CEO Nigel Eccles on Governor Cuomo Signing New York’s Fantasy Sports Bill into Law

“On behalf of more than three million fantasy players across the state and our entire company, we want to sincerely thank Governor Cuomo and members of the state legislature — led by bill sponsors Senator John Bonacic, Assemblyman Gary Pretlow, Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan and Speaker Carl Heastie — for bringing fantasy sports back to New York.

This success in New York speaks to the strength and passion of our players who stood up and made their voices heard — and their elected leaders responded.

New York marks a capstone achievement in a remarkable year for fantasy sports.

Last fall, amidst national controversy, some pundits put fantasy sports on death watch. But when the calendar turned to 2016 and fantasy sports fans had the opportunity to be heard and legislators had the opportunity to act, the dynamic quickly shifted, and one by one states began to recognize this is a game loved by millions – millions who should be able to play and deserve the basic protections afforded to consumers in all major industries.

Since only January, eight states – Colorado, Indiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia, and now the Empire State – have passed laws clarifying the legality of fantasy sports and creating strong consumer protection regulations. This progress in such a short window of time, during a challenging time for tech companies, is a powerful statement about the extraordinary support for our industry. And we recognize that this success in our home state of New York and our snowballing success across the country is due to the advocacy, efforts, and unbending belief of our players, and we owe them incredible gratitude for their support of fantasy sports.

With the future of fantasy sports affirmed in New York we expect our legislative momentum will only accelerate as more states address the issue. Fantasy sports fans: take comfort; FanDuel’s future is bright.”