AnneCarlini.com Home
 
  Giveaways!
  Insider Gossip
  Monthly Hot Picks
  Book Reviews
  CD Reviews
  Concert Reviews
  DVD Reviews
  Game Reviews
  Movie Reviews
  Check Out The NEW Anne Carlini Productions!
  [NEW] Belouis Some (2024)
  [NEW] Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel (2024)
  [NEW] Mark Ruffalo (‘Poor Things’)
  [NEW] Paul Giamatti (‘The Holdovers’)
  [NEW] Crystal Gayle
  [NEW] Ellen Foley
  Gotham Knights [David Russo - Composer]
  The Home of WAXEN WARES Candles!
  Michigan Siding Company for ALL Your Outdoor Needs
  MTU Hypnosis for ALL your Day-To-Day Needs!
  COMMENTS FROM EXCLUSIVE MAGAZINE READERS!


©2024 annecarlini.com
DJ Supply

'Frontline: The Fantasy Sports Gamble'
(DVD / NR / 2016 / PBS)

Overview: Over the past several years, daily fantasy sports have become big business, with fans betting an estimated $3.1 billion (BILLION!) in 2015 alone! Critics say the practice amounts to gambling and should be regulated, but companies like DraftKings and Fan Duel say it's entertainment. Frontline investigates here in 'The Fantasy Sports Gamble'.

DVD Verdict: Let's get this straight from the start: Fantasy sports leagues are games of skill. Managers must take into account a myriad of statistics, facts and game theory in order to be competitive. There are thousands of websites, magazines and other such publications that seek to synthesize the vast amounts of available fantasy sports information to keep their readers informed and competitive.

A manager must know more than simple depth charts and statistics to win; they also must to take into account injuries, coaching styles, weather patterns, prospects, home and away statistics, and many other pieces of information in order to be a successful fantasy sports manager.

The highest levels of competition within fantasy sports (for example, the National Fantasy Baseball Championship) routinely see top players win games more frequently than if the contests were random or highly based on chance. It’s a pattern that has been repeated with many fantasy sports contests and competitions: the highly skilled fantasy player wins more frequently.

As 'Frontline: The Fantasy Sports Gamble' clearly reveals, The Federal Government does not define Fantasy Sports as gambling. Indeed, The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 included “carve out” language that clarified the legality of fantasy sports. It was passed by Congress and signed into law on October 13, 2006 by President George W. Bush. The act makes transactions from banks or similar institutions to online gambling sites illegal, with the notable exceptions of fantasy sports, online lotteries, and horse/harness racing.

The bill specifically exempts fantasy sports games, educational games or any online contest that “has an outcome that reflects the relative knowledge of the participants, or their skill at physical reaction or physical manipulation (but not chance), and, in the case of a fantasy or simulation sports game, has an outcome that is determined predominantly by accumulated statistical results of sporting events, including any non-participant’s individual performances in such sporting events…”

In closing, Fantasy Sports players are motivated to enter the hobby for reasons that have nothing to do with money or prizes. The vast majority of fantasy sports players participate in free contests that have no cash or material prizes (over 74 percent of the 30.6 million fantasy sports players in 2010 entered a contest or used league software that included no cash or material prize, according to an IPSOS research report).

The only enjoyment is winning and competing against other sports fans. In fact, frequent surveys of fantasy sports players show that the top reasons for playing include “competing with friends,” “enhance my sports experience,” and “to be in a league with friends.” 'Frontline: The Fantasy Sports Gamble' showcases both sides of this argument in a fine, documentary style - one that gives cause to both sides, in truth. This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.

www.PBS.org





...Archives