Football season can be the longest, most boring and dreadful time of the year for people who just don’t understand the game. Who wants to sit around an entire Sunday worshipping the athletes on TV and eating junk food? Monday nights included. One solution to that problem is “If you can’t beat them, join them.” Fantasy football can be a great way to learn the sport, make new friends and maybe win some extra cash. Unfortunately, in Utah this is considered gambling, which is illegal. This is absurd for a hobby like this to be illegal.
I’m not a gambler, but I’m not against gambling. I say if I can’t afford to lose the money, then I can’t afford to gamble. Except this is one thing throughout the year I’m willing to partake. In case you are still against gambling, chew on this, The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 kept fantasy football legal, see gamblingandthelaw.com. So if you ever decide to leave Utah, you are in the green zone and shouldn’t worry about charges against you for gambling.
A little piece of enticing information is in 2007, The National Fantasy Football Championship had a $1,300 entry fee, steep price for a little fun. It doesn’t seem worth it to fork over that much hard-earned cash, but when you see the winner’s prize, you might want to leap; the winner gets $100,000. This year’s entry fee is slightly more at $1,400, but the grand prize is the same as 2007. We pay to play sports in our community; I don’t think a little imaginative playing is any different.
The reason I enjoy it is I have truly come to love this sport. It’s exciting to watch and learn the plays. Even the daily thrill of the competitiveness is fun, which is not something I’m used to. I don’t feel immature either knowing that 73 percent of fantasy players went to college, according to listafterlist.com.
With these facts, I don’t think any type of fantasy game should be illegal. Let’s compare it to a role playing game also known as RPG. I know tons of people that play those types of video games and have to pay every month to keep playing. They are extremely addictive for people. I’ve heard of people’s relationships ending because their loved one stops getting attention or the player creates new relationships within the game. People lose their jobs because they can’t stop playing. The game becomes reality to the player.
The RPG’s can be as addictive as cocaine and yet it is totally legal. In my opinion, fantasy football is not even on the same level as gambling.
I’ve only played a couple of years and I plan to play for many years. This game teaches you how to strategize well and how to manage people. I think it’s a great way for people to socialize, too. It’s not just for boys anymore; girls get your foot in the door to pull a fast one on the guys with how much you know about the next best football star. Being a part of a fantasy league shouldn’t be considered gambling, it’s an activity to do that gets you more involved with family, friends, society and the NFL. You be the judge, I don’t think it’s illegal.