DraftKings and FanDuel stop operating in New York, for now

We hope you aren't an ardent DraftKings or FanDuel fan in New York -- that reprieve they got isn't going to last. The state's Attorney General has reached agreements with both daily fantasy sports sites that will have them shut down paid contests in New York from March 21st until at least September, when they get to appeal a ruling that put them on the wrong side of the law. You can still use them as a New Yorker if you're out of state, but you're otherwise out of luck.

Whether or not they reopen depends on more than just the appeal. New York's government has bills in motion that could legalize daily fantasy sports, possibly before the legislature winds down its current session on June 30th. The Attorney General will drop nearly all lawsuits against the companies (claims of false advertising would stick) if one of those bills becomes law by the end of June. If the Attorney General wins the appeal, however, things will be bleak -- DraftKings and FanDuel drop their lawsuits, the state ditches most of its claims and the services likely stay dark. However it shakes out, there will be many people sitting on pins and needles for the next several months.