July.20.2020
Governor John Bel Edwards of Louisiana signed legislation on July 13 clearing the way for legal fantasy sports contests in the state and successfully capping a three-year effort by Orrick’s Public Policy Group. The bill creates a taxation scheme for fantasy sports and follows another bill, signed on June 9, which establishes regulations to govern the contests. These new laws will allow the state to act on fantasy sports legalization, which was overwhelmingly approved by voters in a 2018 referenda.
The Orrick team was instrumental in the passage of both bills on behalf of firm clients DraftKings and FanDuel. Orrick’s Public Policy Group has passed legislation affirming the legality of fantasy sports in 22 other states and Puerto Rico since 2016. The Orrick team was led by Erica Sechrist and includes partners Jeremy Kudon, Scott Ward, and Nicholas Green.