Is PrizePicks gambling? What state regulators, attorneys general and settlements say about pick'em fantasy
Is PrizePicks gambling?
It depends on the state. California's Attorney General concluded in July 2025 that daily fantasy, pick'em included, is sports wagering under Penal Code 337a. New York's Gaming Commission settled with PrizePicks for $14,969,688 in 2024 and lists it as a permitted fantasy operator. Maryland bars contests based on a single athlete's performance.
Piece published Reviewed by CryptoGuardz Register Desk, editorial desk
Whether PrizePicks is gambling depends on the state, and the regulators disagree in writing. California's Attorney General concluded on 3 July 2025 that daily fantasy games, including pick'em, "constitute wagering on sports in violation of Penal Code section 337a." New York's Gaming Commission took a $14,969,688 settlement from PrizePicks in 2024, and on 9 October 2026 lists it as a permitted interactive fantasy sports operator.
Pick'em is the format where a player picks more or less on two or more athletes' stat lines and gets paid at a fixed multiple if the picks hit. Regulators who object to it usually say it looks like a parlay of player props. This page sets out each regulator's position as its own, with the document and date. It is not legal advice.
Is PrizePicks gambling in California?
On the Attorney General's reading, yes. Opinion No. 23-1001 answered the question "Does California law prohibit the operation of daily fantasy sports games with players physically located within California, regardless of whether the operators and associated technology are located outside the State?" Its conclusion:
Yes, California law prohibits the operation of daily fantasy sports games with players physically located within California, regardless of where the operators and associated technology are located. Such games constitute wagering on sports in violation of Penal Code section 337a.
The opinion covers both player-versus-house pick'em and player-versus- player contests, including peer-to-peer pick'em. It left one question open: whether the games are also illegal lotteries, which it said turns on whether skill or chance predominates. An Attorney General opinion is the office's legal view, not a court judgment.
What did New York do about PrizePicks?
It settled, then licensed. The stipulation in NYSGC case PRPI-IFS-001-2023, with SidePrize LLC d/b/a "Prize Picks", has an effective date of 31 December 2023 and a PrizePicks signature dated 5 February 2024. PrizePicks agreed to pay $14,969,688 by 1 March 2024, calculated from revenue from New York contestants between 4 June 2019 and 31 December 2023. It also agreed to:
cease and desist on or before February 14, 2024 any operations and offerings in New York
The settlement concerns "purported IFS contests". PrizePicks accepted the Commission's findings for purposes of the settlement only. The document does not name the format at issue.
On 9 October 2026 the Commission's interactive fantasy sports page lists 13 permitted operators, PrizePicks among them, and describes IFS as "games of skill in which contestants assemble a roster of athletes in a given sport". The format PrizePicks now offers in New York was not checked: not verified. The state's wider rules are on the New York state page.
Which states treat pick'em as sports betting?
The documents read for this page:
| State | Body | Date | What it says or did |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Attorney General, Opinion 23-1001 | 3 Jul 2025 | DFS, pick'em included, is sports wagering under PC 337a |
| New York | Gaming Commission | Feb 2024 | $14,969,688 settlement; PrizePicks listed as permitted in 2026 |
| Maryland | Lottery and Gaming | Read 9 Oct 2026 | No contests on a single athlete's single performance |
| Nevada | Gaming Control Board | 15 Oct 2015 | DFS "constitutes gambling", needs a sports pool licence |
| Missouri | Attorney General | Sep 2026 | Letters to 6 event contract operators; PrizePicks not one |
| Florida | Gaming Control Commission | 19 Sep 2023 | Letter to PrizePicks, per a law firm excerpt: not verified |
Maryland's regulator says approved operators "are not permitted to offer competitions in which the winning outcome is based on" three things, including "Any single performance of an individual athlete or player in any single actual event". It adds: "These types of wagers (parlays and propositions) are among those that Maryland's regulations define as sports wagering." The page does not name PrizePicks or list operators; that list sits on a separate page not read here. See the Maryland state page.
Nevada's 2015 notice predates pick'em but covers all paid daily fantasy: "a person must possess a license to operate a sports pool issued by the Nevada Gaming Commission." See the Nevada state page.
Florida's letter of 19 September 2023 to PrizePicks is quoted in a law firm's note as saying "betting or wagering on the result of contests of skill" is "strictly prohibited and constitutes a felony". The letter was not found on the Commission's own site, so its text is not verified. Arkansas letters reported in February 2024 were not found on a state site either: not verified. Both states' pages, Florida and Arkansas, record what their regulators have published on other products.
Why do regulators single out pick'em?
Because of the single-athlete line in federal and state fantasy laws. The UIGEA carve-out for fantasy sports, 31 U.S.C. 5362(1)(E)(ix), requires that no winning outcome be based "solely on any single performance of an individual athlete in any single real-world sporting or other event", and that outcomes be "determined predominantly by accumulated statistical results of the performance of individuals (athletes in the case of sports events) in multiple real-world sporting or other events."
A pick'em entry combines several athletes, which is the operators' argument that it fits. A regulator who sees each pick as a player prop, and the entry as a parlay of props paid at a fixed multiple, reaches the answer Maryland's page gives: parlays and propositions are sports wagering. The UIGEA carve-out is a payments definition, not a state licence, so it does not settle the state law question either way. The full statute is discussed in is fantasy football gambling.
What about PrizePicks' prediction markets?
They raise the Kalshi question, not the fantasy one. In September 2026 Missouri's Attorney General sent cease-and-desist letters to six operators of sports event contracts: Polymarket, Kalshi, Crypto.com, Novig, Underdog and Robinhood. The release says "Companies cannot repackage sports bets as 'event contracts' to avoid Missouri law." PrizePicks is not named in it. Trade press reported on 7 October 2026 that PrizePicks suspended its event contract product in Missouri; no PrizePicks or state document confirming that was read: not verified.
Whether a state can treat a contract on a CFTC-registered exchange as a sports bet is before the federal appeals courts and a Supreme Court petition. That record is on the Kalshi page.
What this does not show
PrizePicks' current state list from its own terms, which was not read. Which format PrizePicks runs in each state today. Regulator actions in Michigan, Ohio, Arizona, Wyoming and other states that have been reported but were not read from a primary source for this page. The US state guide has each state's regulator record for online casinos, sports betting and sweepstakes.
Quick answers
Is PrizePicks legal?
It depends on the state. New York lists PrizePicks among 13 permitted IFS operators on 9 October 2026. California's Attorney General says daily fantasy, pick'em included, violates Penal Code 337a.
Is PrizePicks sports betting?
California's Attorney General says yes, in Opinion 23-1001 of 3 July 2025. Maryland says contests based on a single athlete's single performance are sports wagering under its rules.
Why did PrizePicks pay New York?
The 2024 stipulation required $14,969,688 for "purported IFS contests" offered from 4 June 2019 to 31 December 2023, and a stop by 14 February
- PrizePicks accepted the findings for the settlement only.
Is PrizePicks banned in California?
No court order was found. The Attorney General's July 2025 opinion concludes the games are illegal sports wagering in California, wherever the operator is based.
Where can I get help with gambling in the US?
The National Problem Gambling Helpline is 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), with call, text and chat. More options are on the responsible gambling page.
Sources
- California Attorney General Opinion No. 23-1001, 3 July 2025, retrieved 9 October 2026
- New York State Gaming Commission, stipulation of settlement with SidePrize LLC d/b/a Prize Picks, case PRPI-IFS-001-2023, retrieved 9 October 2026
- New York State Gaming Commission, Interactive Fantasy Sports, retrieved 9 October 2026
- Maryland Lottery and Gaming, Fantasy Competitions, retrieved 9 October 2026
- Missouri Attorney General press release, prediction markets cease and desist, September 2026, retrieved 9 October 2026
- 31 U.S.C. 5362, definitions (UIGEA), GovInfo, retrieved 9 October 2026
- Nevada Gaming Control Board, Notice to Licensees, Legality of Offering Daily Fantasy Sports in Nevada, 15 October 2015, retrieved 9 October 2026
- Florida Gaming Control Commission letter of 19 September 2023, as excerpted by Ifrah Law (letter itself not found on the Commission site)
- National Council on Problem Gambling, National Problem Gambling Helpline, retrieved 8 October 2026
About this piece
Compiled by the CryptoGuardz register team from the sources listed above. Research and drafting are AI-assisted and reviewed by a named editor before publication. Nothing here is a recommendation to gamble. If a figure or a reading is wrong, tell us and the correction is logged in public.