A number of states including Nevada and New York came down heavily on the Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) betting industry as legislators determined that DFS was similar to the casino industry and must be regulated. Nevada and New York decided to ban DFS websites from operating in the state and FanDuel and DraftKings, two of the biggest DFS operators were forced to shutdown their operations there.

The state of Indiana has decided to take advantage of this ostracization and roll out the red carpet to Fan Duel by welcoming the company to re-locate its headquarters from New York and set it up in Indiana. Indiana Hoosier lawmakers Sen. Jon Ford and Rep. Alan Morrison stated that if FanDuel was unhappy with the treatment it was receiving in New York, then the company should seriously consider the possibility of moving its headquarters to Indiana.

There are a number of other states who want to follow in the footsteps of New York and Nevada as regulating the multi-billion dollar DFS industry would bring in significant gaming tax revenue for each state. Indiana has adopted a completely different approach as state legislators believe that the possible re-location by FanDuel would benefit the state by creating employment opportunities and boost the DFS industry in Indiana.

Rep. Alan Morrison is currently in talks with senior executives from FanDuel and has already drafted House Bill 1074 that will allow DFS at Indiana racinos.

In a statement, Morrison said “In order to be prepared for daily fantasy sports sites in our state, we will each be introducing legislation calling for basic consumer protections and transparency, so consumers who use fantasy sports sites in Indiana are protected. By adding some industry-accepted consumer protections, we hope to give all participants the assurance of a fair game while participating in these sites. We believe that sports drafting is a game of skill and not of chance.”

FanDuel appreciated the support that Indiana has extended and while the company is yet to make a decision on whether to consider the proposal to re-locate, the company thanked Indiana legislators for offering the company a safe haven in the state and the opportunity to create new jobs.

FanDuel has been under a lot of pressure in its home state of New York as attorney general Eric Schneiderman has launched an attack on DFS websites which resulted in a ban after New York Supreme Court Justice Manuel Mendez ruled against the DFS industry. Schneiderman filed an amended lawsuit on the 31st of December asking FanDuel and DraftKings to return all the money they have made from the state of New York.