California AG Rob Bonta says action is coming against online fantasy sports platforms

ONLINE DAILY FANTASY SPORT PLATFORMS HERE IN CALIFORNIA. ATTORNEY GENERAL ROB BONTA, SPEAKING PUBLICLY FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT THIS MOVE. NOW, EARLIER THIS MONTH, HE RELEASED A LEGAL OPINION STATING THESE COMPANIES VIOLATE STATE LAW BECAUSE THEY INVOLVE SPORTS BETTING, WHICH IS ILLEGAL AND NOT ALLOWED IN CALIFORNIA. ALL RIGHT. SO WHERE ARE WE AS OF RIGHT NOW? KCRA THREE CAPITOL CORRESPONDENT ASHLEY ZAVALA HAD A CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH OUR AG, ROB BONTA. SO THESE PLATFORMS I MEAN, THEY’RE STILL OPERATING. YEAH. THEY HAVE NOT STOPPED AT THIS POINT. POPULAR SITES LIKE UNDERDOG FANTASY AND PRIZE PICKS ARE STILL UP AND RUNNING, AND THEY’VE BEEN OPERATING IN THIS STATE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. BONTA RELEASED THIS LEGAL OPINION A FEW WEEKS AGO AFTER A REPUBLICAN STATE LAWMAKER ASKED HIM TO WEIGH IN. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THE STATE’S LAST TWO ATTORNEYS GENERAL WERE ASKED TO DO SO, BUT THEY DID NOT WEIGH IN. WHEN ASKED FOR THIS OPINION. SO I ASKED BONTA, WHY DO IT NOW? AND DOES HE PLAN TO TAKE ANY ACTION AGAINST THESE COMPANIES? HERE’S OUR CONVERSATION. WHEN THE AG OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA GETS A FORMAL REQUEST FOR A LEGAL OPINION, AS WE DID HERE FROM TWO SEPARATE LEGISLATORS, IT’S OUR DUTY, NOT OUR DISCRETION, BUT WE ARE MANDATED. WE SHALL RESPOND AND PROVIDE A OPINION AS APPROPRIATELY REQUESTED UNDER THE LAW. THERE’S NO DISCRETION OR ABILITY TO SAY, HEY, NO, WE’RE NOT GOING TO PROVIDE THAT OPINION. IT’S NOT AN OPINION. IT’S NOT A POLICY. IT’S NOT A DISCRETIONARY ACT. IT IS A OBJECTIVE. STRAIGHTFORWARD DESCRIPTION OF WHAT EXISTING LAW IS. AND WE PROVIDED THAT. SO WE ARE UNIQUE IN THE FACT THAT WE ARE THE FIRST AG TO BE PRESENTED WITH A FORMAL LEGAL OPINION. AND WE WERE REQUIRED AND OBLIGATED AND DUTY BOUND TO RESPOND, WHICH WE DID. AND WE DESCRIBED THE EXISTING LAW AS IT IS. AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, I MEAN, DAILY FANTASY SPORTS OPERATORS, SINCE THAT LEGAL OPINION WAS ISSUED, THEY’RE STILL OPERATING AS OF THIS MOMENT. ARE THEY STILL VIOLATING THE LAW? I MEAN, DO PEOPLE NEED TO STOP USING THESE APPS? IT’S A VIOLATION OF THE LAW, AS OUR LEGAL OPINION HAS INDICATED TO. PROVIDE A PLATFORM IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO TO CALIFORNIA CONSUMERS FOR THE DAILY FANTASY SPORTS AT ISSUE AND THE OPINION IS THE FIRST THING THAT WE’VE BEEN ASKED TO PROVIDE. AND WE HAVE, AS YOU KNOW, AND THE NEXT STEP IS OUR ENFORCEMENT AND LAWS ARE MEANT TO BE ENFORCED. AND WE EXPECT OUR LEGAL OPINION TO BE FOLLOWED AND COMPLIED WITH BY EVERYONE GOVERNED BY IT. OKAY, SO CAN WE EXPECT ACTION FROM YOU? ABSOLUTELY. SO WITH THAT, WE’VE ACTUALLY IN THE LAST 24 HOURS, HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT TO THE COALITION FOR FANTASY SPORTS REPEATEDLY. THAT INCLUDES DAILY FANTASY SPORTS OPERATORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. REALLY NOTHING FROM THEM YET. I’VE ALSO REACHED OUT TO FANDUEL AND DRAFTKINGS. THEY ARE NOT PART OF THAT COALITION. THEY ARE A MUCH BIGGER OPERATION. FANDUEL TOLD US. NO COMMENT. STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM DRAFTKINGS. WE’VE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE TRIBES WHO’VE BEEN CALLING ON THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO ENFORCE THE LAW AND BACK UP HIS LEGAL OPINION. THEY DID NOT HAVE ANYONE AVAILABLE TO COMMENT TODAY, BUT THEY HAVE SAID AGAIN EARLIER THIS MONTH THEY HOPE THE STATE’S LEADERS BACK UP THAT LEGAL OPINION AND HOLD THOSE WHO ARE BREAKING THE LAW ACCOUNTABLE. BUT HE WASN’T WILLING OR DIDN’T ELABORATE ON ENFORCEMENT. SO, I MEAN, WHAT ABOUT I MEAN, BONTA’S CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS? I MEAN, HAVE ANY OF THESE PLAYERS IN THIS WHOLE THING CONTRIBUTED? YEAH, I DUG INTO THAT TODAY. AND I MEAN, WE’RE NOT SURE. I MEAN, HE DID NOT MENTION THE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS, BUT WE WILL MENTION TO YOU THAT CAMPAIGN FINANCE RECORDS SHOW THE ONLINE SPORTS SITES HAVE NOT POLITICALLY DONATED TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, BUT THE TRIBES CERTAINLY HAVE. THROUGHOUT HIS POLITICAL CAREER, GAMING TRIBES HAVE GIVEN HIM A TOTAL OF $334,700 BETWEEN HIS CAMPAIGNS FOR STATE ASSEMBLY AND ATTORNEY GENERAL. THOSE DATE BACK TO 2014. BONTA IS RUNNING FOR REELECTION IN 2026, AND GAMING TRIBES HAVE GIVEN HIM $71,800 SO FAR, THOSE RECORDS SHOW. YEAH, I MEAN, YOU COULD