DraftKings, FanDuel file lawsuits v. New York AG; FanDuel cut off New York players

Daily fantasy sports operators have asked New York courts to get the state Attorney General off their backs, while the AG vowed to seek criminal charges against the operators.

On Friday, DFS operators DraftKings and FanDuel filed separate lawsuits in New York, asking the state Supreme Court to block efforts by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to declare their operations illegal gambling activity under state law.

On Tuesday, Schneiderman issued cease & desist orders to both operators, warning that criminal charges could follow if they didn’t quit doing business with New York residents within five business days.

Each of Friday’s lawsuits asks the Court to provide emergency injunctive relief to prevent Schneiderman from making good on his threat. The suits also ask the Court to declare that (a) DFS is a game of skill and thus the activity falls outside the scope of New York’s gambling laws, and (b) the companies haven’t engaged in misleading advertising claims regarding the likelihood of winning a prize.