Fantasy Sports - Just Hand Over Your Money - UPDATED!

Hello, Readers ----  good to see page views but some comments would be AWESOME!  Would just love to hear from some of you: your thoughts, insights, rants (civil, of course), whatever.  What's going on with you?

Here in the good ol' U. S. A., it's football season again.  Sorry to say my Seahawks are 0 - 2 (ummm - what's going on, guys?), but that's not what has me ranting right now.

You've probably seen ads for them on tv - fantasy football sites that promise pretty good payoffs. What???  It seems there's always someone waiting to take someone else's money.  And to be honest, I can't think of what else these sites have been created for.

Supposedly these sites are for fun and excitement,  but do folks think about the REALITY of them?  They may promise payoffs, but I'm quite sure they're not in business to lose money, so how are they going to pay off winners if a lot of "users" don't lose?  Do folks who sign up  and the networks and shows that accept their sponsorships think about that?  I also include online gaming sites as needing our disdain (more in a moment...).

Found this recent article at NPR News about just these sorts of sites.  Two things the article brings out that are really concerning about this:  1)  some of the investors are mentioned in the article --- including some sports leagues, teams and some networks, etc.; does this really show respect for fans? and 2) consider this:  "And while players on FanDuel, DraftKings and other sites put up money for a chance to win a lot more, it's not considered betting — thanks to an exemption in a 2006 law regulating online gambling."  As some commenters noted - how, exactly is this different from gambling?  I think the potential for real harm to individuals is quite clear (as did some other commenters).It's too easy to get hooked, thinking - oh, I'll win NEXT week. It would be easy for losses to keep piling up, though, waiting for that win.  I would counsel someone to never go near these sites even with that proverbial ten-foot pole.

To be sure, the lure of "easy money" can be enticing.  But if we either learn from experience or take a step back, we'll see that things that are too good to be true - most often definitely aren't.  I hope that folks will STOP using such sites. SHAME on the networks and shows who accept their advertising.  And DOUBLE SHAME  on the creators of them and the investors.

UPDATES:

Would you believe a manager on one of these sites released data on fantasy teams, then bet and won big on another site?   The story is here.

Would you belieeve the SEC Network will no longer accept commercials from FanDuel and Draft Kings?  Good for them.  Now, can we get other networks to follow?  

Would you believe that fans really need to "Get Smart"?  Maybe we should assign Agents 86 and 99 to the case. :-) 

ANOTHER UPDATE:  
A Congressman from NJ is calling for hearings on fantasy sites!