Federal judge tosses Draftkings’ petition back to Tennessee court

A federal judge has thumbed down the request of daily fantasy sports (DFS) provider DraftKings to hear the lawsuit filed by a wife of a gambler who has lost over $40,000.

Judge Harry S. Mattice has remanded the case of Erica Miller against DraftKings to the Chancery Court of Greene County, Tennessee. According to gambling news website Legal Sports Report, Mattice’s decision represents one of the first formal rulings against the DFS provider.

In his June 30, 2016 decision, Judge Mattice stressed that the DFS failed to convince the court that Mattice’s case should be tried in a federal court given the fact that the amount involved in the lawsuit exceeds $75,000.

By rule, federal courts only hear cases worth $75,000 or more. Smaller cases stay with state-level courts.