Stronach Group files federal lawsuit v. DerbyWars horseracing fantasy site

The Stronach Group has filed a federal lawsuit against the company behind horseracing fantasy site DerbyWars.com, accusing it of violating the federal Interstate Horseracing Act (IHA) of 1978.

On Wednesday, attorneys for the Stronach Group, whose properties include multiple racetracks in North America as well as the Xpressbet online advance deposit wagering business, sued Horse Racing Labs (aka Immerse) in US District Court for the Central District of California.

HRL stands accused of violating the IHA, offering wagers without a California license, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage and racketeering. Stronach’s attorneys have demanded a jury trial and are seeking unspecified damages plus court costs.

DerbyWars, which launched in 2011, operates similar to daily fantasy sports (DFS) sites, in that players assemble lineups of horses running in a series of races, then players match the performance of their lineups against those assembled by other bettors in either tournament or head-to-head contests. Like most DFS operators, DerbyWars isn’t available to players in the six states in which fantasy play is expressly forbidden.