DraftKings stakeholder Jerry Jones defends daily fantasy sports
Dallas Cowboys owner and DraftKings stakeholder Jerry Jones voiced his support of daily fantasy sports on Sunday, saying they foster increased fan participation, reports ESPN’s Darren Rovell.
As a team owner, Jones’s investment in DraftKings is permitted by the NFL, though teams themselves are not allowed to hold shares in daily fantasy sports companies. The Kraft Group, which owns the New England Patriots, also invests in DraftKings.
“From my perspective, anything that follows the rules, that causes and creates more interest and more fan participation, I’m really for,” Jones said. “So I’m a supporter and that’s the rules that we’ll test is put your money where your mouth is.
“I don’t think DraftKings or FanDuel in any way compromise our players on the football field because it’s all fantasy. It has no bearing on the outcome of the game at all.”
Daily fantasy sites have come under increased scrutiny after DraftKings employee Ethan Haskell admitted to leaking information about the site’s fantasy lineups during the NFL’s Week 3. The data Haskell released is made public after lineups have been finalized, but can give participants an advantage if obtained ahead of time. That week, Haskell won $350,000 on rival site FanDuel from a $25 entry.
The FBI, Department of Justice and New York attorney general have since opened inquiries into the companies, and 18 lawsuits have been filed against them.
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