A popular daily fantasy sports site is changing its offerings in the Empire State.
PrizePicks announced Monday that it will stop operating "Pick’Em" due to licensing rules changes made by the New York Gaming Commission.
Beginning Thursday, the DFS operator can no longer offer paid contests funded by player buy-ins. New York is the latest state to crack down on games that imitate legal sportsbooks’ prop wagering.
“We are in the process of applying for a permanent license to operate in New York under the state’s new rule,” PrizePicks said in a letter to customers. “We look forward to resuming paid contests in New York as soon as possible, including introducing new fantasy games with larger prizes and more exciting ways to play and win.”
Citing rule changes, PrizePicks says it will pause paid contests in New York and shutter its Pick'Em game there starting Thursday.
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) February 12, 2024
PP will instead switch over to free-to-play contests in NY and says it is applying for a permanent license in the state under the new rules. pic.twitter.com/8HTQXQHNGi
PrizePicks customers can still access their accounts and withdraw funds.
Thrive Fantasy, a similar DFS site, will cease operations in New York on Tuesday.
Free game
PrizePicks said it will offer free-entry contests with cash prizes for New York customers. The company had to do the same thing in Michigan last fall after shutting down the pick ’em-style operations.
Last month, PrizePicks launched a peer-to-peer game in Tennessee, Wyoming, Alabama, and West Virginia. PrizePicks Arena matches players based on similar experiences and buy-ins. They compete against each other for prize pools based on the highest scores from making picks.
