NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave a thumb’s up to fantasy football on Sunday. But not the daily leagues run by FanDuel and Draft Kings.
Speaking at a fan forum in Minneapolis, Goodell made a distinction between the two, calling season-long leagues “an opportunity to enjoy the game.”
“Many people probably play here in this room,” Goodell said. “It’s for fun. It’s not about making money. It’s an opportunity to enjoy the game, and we encourage our kids to do it. It’s a way to connect people, and we think it’s a wonderful way.
“Daily fantasy’s taken a little different approach.”
Although gambling has an uneasy connection to pro football, the league itself has always insisted it was different.
A nationwide class-action suit was was filed in Florida on Saturday charging DraftKings and FanDuel with violations of the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
“Daily fantasy is different,” Goodell said. “The player picks whatever players they want. I want to make sure there are different consumer protections. That’s important to us.”
