DraftKings and FanDuel now have the opportunity to continue their daily fantasy sports operations in the state of Illinois after negotiations with the state’s Attorney General. The negotiations come just a few days after Lisa Madigan, the Illinois AG, ruled DFS as illegal gambling.

It was just before Christmas Day that Madigan released her opinion of DFS, considering the activity one of gambling, making the contests illegal in the state. With the ruling, Madigan expected FanDuel and DraftKings to stop operations within the state. However, both operators filed papers to be able to continue to operate.

Yesterday, the office of the Attorney General announced that they had come to an agreement with DraftKings for a court schedule to continue the discussion in court. The office of the AG has until the 22nd of January to file a response to the complaint filed legally by DraftKings. Both DraftKings and the AG’s office have until the 28th of April to finish the discovery phase as well as the trial if deemed necessary. The court date is set for the 27th of June.

The good news, for the DFS sites, is that they can continue operations. DraftKings and the AG agreed that action would not be pursued against the other concerning the legality of daily fantasy sports except for in court. This means, DraftKings can continue offering their services while the process begins for the DFS brand and the AG to go to court.

Mike Zalewski is a representative of Illinois who hopes that he can convince his fellow legislators to pass a bill he introduced back in October to remedy the situation. The bill is a consumer protection option that is DFS friendly. The bill would have to be passed by May, before the current session expires, to move forward.

DraftKings is happy with the deal struck with the Illinois AG, expressing their confidence that they would be able to prevail in the case. It is believed that FanDuel is negotiating a similar deal with Madigan’s office, as they filed a complaint as well. Information on said deal should be announced in the near future.

FanDuel, DraftKings reach deal with Illinois AG to temporarily continue operations

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FanDuel, DraftKings reach deal with Illinois AG to temporarily continue operations

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