Comment by koolmoe | Hacker News Reader

Comment by koolmoe | Hacker News Reader

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I think the Java vs. Flex debate is out of place here. The way Matt's comment re Java fits into the discussion has more to do with the amount of attention that most Fantasy Sports providers are giving to the domain. In that context, I think Matt is on the money. The big providers are not keenly focused on the problem. I'm an avid fantasy sports fan, and my experience has been far from optimal.

The killer part of the app is that it offers the ability to bet online and get quick gratification. Draftmix hits the action player's sweet spot, and I suspect apps in this area will drastically outperform their season-long counterparts. Anyone familiar with gambling economics knows that the action players and casual gamers drive the economy.

The argument about skill vs. chance in the comments of the TechCrunch article is interesting. I think it's easy to make a compelling argument that success in the short term format might require more skill than season long formats, but legislators have demonstrated that compelling arguments hold less value than one might think they should.

I agree re: skill in short format leagues. What it would come down to, should we ever end up in court (which we're taking great pains to avoid) is convincing a jury that we meet whatever test their state applies to a game to determine if it is a game of skill or not.

We're staying away from states where that test is too stringent (i.e., many states ban games that involve any luck at all). In the ones in which we operate (39) the test is typically that luck is the predominant factor. We feel that given a large sample we can mathematically prove that a player can win over time regardless of luck. We're certainly seeing that so far.

How do those jurisdictions judge betting on the result of a match? Picking players on their teams likely performance would surely be a significant part of the game.

Although given that what you're doing isn't odds adjusted, it's probably not that great a comparison.

That falls under the purview of traditional online sports betting which is illegal in every state but Nevada (where it is legal intrastate with tight regulations).

Yeah either way I think its fairly clear draftmix should be considered the same as any other fantasy sports league. I guess my point is that betting on the result of a game is usually accompanied by odds to increase the luck the component, and fantasy sports doesn't.

You'd think picking week by week would control the randomness, certainly you're much less likely to be hit by an injury which would be one of the largest random components. Also players tend play well or badly in patches.

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