Gambler Wants PrizePicks, Yahoo and Underdog Fantasy to Repay “Illegal” Wagers

A lawsuit filed last week in Massachusetts by Joseph Curran from Gloucester stipulates that the platforms Yahoo Fantasy Sports, PrizePicks and Underdog Fantasy have been operating illegally in the Bay State and had accepted money on non-fantasy sports wagers without authorization.

Gambler Brings Trio of Fantasy Companies to Court in Massachusetts

Curran’s 33-page lawsuit seeks to recover money that was placed on proposition and pick’ em bets offered by the DFS operators, which could actually amount to millions of dollars gambled across the platforms.

The suit specifically claims that the defendants had run actual gambling propositions rather than a DFS product, which was against the law, an important distinction between fantasy sports and traditional gambling products. Moreover, the fantasy sports age in the state is 18, whereas the gambling age is set at 21.

Curran is looking for other gamblers who feel the same way, and who are welcome to join his claim. According to the claim filed at the Massachusetts Superior Court, the companies were making at least $10 million every month from the aforementioned types of picks.

The case is not without its merit. Massachusetts had indeed sent cease-and-desist letters to PrizePicks, Underdog and Yahoo Sports, with the first two acquiescing to the demand, but Yahoo Fantasy Sports, argues Curran’s filing, could still be coloring the lines around regulation.

The issue raised by the plaintiff is that the nature of proposition wagers goes against the grain of what fantasy sports are, argues Curran in his complaint. The plaintiff insists that the companies were well aware of the product they were offering and that what they demonstrated was a “willful disregard” of the state’s law.

Willful Disregard of State Rules by Offering Unauthorized Gambling

This is not the first time the companies have come under pressure from gamblers with similar demands. For example, PrizePicks has already had to repay $15 million to settle a similar claim in New York.

Similar cases involving multiple companies have also been fought in Massachusetts, Wyoming and Florida – and mostly settled in favor of the plaintiffs. PrizePicks in particular has run into some issues, including in Michigan where the company had to restart its offer, but made a successful return in late 2023.