Lobbying drive for the trade body
A major representative body for fantasy sports in the United States, the Fantasy Sports Trade Association seems to be engaged on a serious lobbying drive, as it appointed a former aide to House Speaker John Boehner, Travis McCoy, to do the lobbying on its behalf, at the same time establishing a special political action committee to oversee and plan the process.
The notorious UIGEA exempts fantasy sports from its bans, thereby turning the pastime into an attractive business area, which notes constant growth.
According to Peter Schoenke, the association's chairman and president of RotoWire, a sports information site, one in five males aged 12 or over in the USA played fantasy sports in 2010.
It has been specified that this move into political lobbying aims at guarding against any changes to federal law that could hurt business, in light of the fact that about a dozen states prohibit their residents to collect winnings from online fantasy games or raise questions about the legality of the games.
However, the FSTA is keeping a low profile with its lobbying activity, as it has so far cost it only $6 000, petty cash compared to the almost $1 million spent by the National Football League in lobbying Congress over the first six months of 2011.
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