California’s top law enforcement official is preparing to take action against fantasy sports operators following his recent determination that their contests violate state gambling laws, and the state’s tribes that initially requested the opinion Thursday spoke out in support.
“The spread of unscrupulous and illegal commercial gaming in California has exploded over the past decade,” the California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) said in a statement shared with InGame. “We commend Attorney General [Rob] Bonta for vowing to enforce gaming laws thus protecting California consumers and the legal gaming industry as a whole. We call on Attorney General Bonta to immediately issue cease and desist orders to all providers of illegal daily fantasy sports platforms currently operating in California in accordance with the law.”
Attorney General Bonta announced Monday that enforcement measures will follow his July 3 legal opinion that daily fantasy sports platforms are illegal in California.
“The next step is our enforcement, and laws are meant to be enforced,” Bonta stated during a Monday evening virtual news conference, as reported by television station KCRA 3.
This announcement was greeted with silence from most operators in the state, as requests for comment from DraftKings, Underdog, and the Coalition for Fantasy Sports were not answered.
“We’ve had initial discussions with the Attorney General’s office and look forward to continuing the conversation about the path forward in California,” FanDuel said in a statement.
First remarks
The attorney general’s public remarks marked his first comments since issuing the non-binding but influential opinion that concluded paid fantasy contests constitute illegal sports wagering under California law.
According to KCRA 3, Bonta explained that his decision to address the issue differed from his predecessors because he received a specific formal request for a legal determination — something former attorneys general Kamala Harris and Xavier Becerra did not.
The request came from former state Sen. Scott Wilk in 2023.
On Thursday, Capitol Weekly reported the tribes themselves went directly to Wilk, asking him to file the formal request.
“You have to fight ‘em or you’ll get rolled over,” Victor Rocha told the outlet. He is a member of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, founder of the tribal gaming news site Pechanga.net, and Indian Gaming Association Conference chair.
Asked about whether action against platforms continuing California operations could be taken, Bonta responded affirmatively, KCRA 3 reported.
Despite the legal opinion, major fantasy platforms including PrizePicks, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and DraftKings remained accessible to California users as this story was published.
The report also highlighted the political dynamics at play. KCRA 3 found that California gaming tribes have contributed $334,700 to Bonta throughout his political career, including $71,800 toward his 2026 reelection bid, while online fantasy companies have made no political donations to the attorney general.
This enforcement escalation sets up what could become a landmark legal battle over fantasy sports regulation in the nation’s most populous state.
Calls and emails to the California Attorney General’s Office for comment were not returned.
