RotoWire is enhancing its fantasy sports offerings as the contests face an uncertain future in California as the state’s Attorney General prepares to share an opinion on their legality.
RotoWire announced a rebrand and the debut of a new fantasy tool, RotoWire Football Draft Kit. The app prepares RotoWire subscribers for the upcoming NFL season by providing tools and real-time analysis to allow users to craft their fantasy strategies.
The app also provides proprietary projection systems and draft tools to its subscribers.
“With our new app, we’re bringing decades of expertise to life in a way that’s faster, smarter, and more accessible,” said RotoWire co-founder Peter Schoenke. “When we started RotoWire in 1997, fantasy sports looked completely different—people mailed in lineups and tracked stats from box scores in the newspaper. We’ve come a long way since then, and this brand evolution really honors that journey.”
RotoWire has a portfolio of more than 80 clients that leverage the brand to provide comprehensive fantasy sports information to their customers but the company’s ability to deliver content to one of the largest markets in America is in limbo due to legality concerns.
The uncertainty of the legality of DFS in California may impact affiliates nationwide.
California’s fantasy sports debate
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is expected to release an opinion on the legality of fantasy sports in the Golden State. The opinion, expected to be issued by July 4, is projected to conclude that fantasy sports and DFS contests are in violation of state law.
Underdog Sports responded to the forthcoming opinion by filing a lawsuit in a California Superior Court requesting the judge to prevent Bonta’s office from releasing the opinion.
In the suit, Underdog noted that 10% of its total revenue derives from California.
Earlier this week, a judge rejected Underdog’s ex parte motion for a temporary restraining order against Bonta’s office to prevent the release of the opinion. The judge denied the motion due to Underdog having “ample opportunity” over the last year to challenge Bonta office’s after a California senator asked the AG to investigate the legality of fantasy sports.
Bonta’s forthcoming stance on fantasy sports is expected to draw backlash from sports fans and lawmakers in the state, including Rep. Ro Khanna. Last week, Khanna said that he thinks banning fantasy football sites in California is a “dumb idea.”
The looming opinion from Bonta’s office led PrizePicks to change the games it offers in California. The operator is now only offering its peer-to-peer products after previously making its Pick’Em contests available, which has players compete against the house.
