Report: FBI investigating fantasy sports websites

NEW YORK (FOX 5 Ny) - The Federal Bureau of Investigation has reportedly launched an inquiry into daily fantasy sports websites. The NY Times reported Thursday that the FBI had contacted several prominent competitors in the contests. This comes after an employee of DraftKings  admitted to releasing data before lineups for the start of the third week of N.F.L. games were locked in.

According to a report in the Times, the players said that they were interviewed by agents from the bureau’s Boston office, who seemed to focus primarily on DraftKings, a Boston-based company. 

Earlier this week, two members of New Jersey's Congressional delegation pushed for federal authorities to take a closer look at fantasy sports leagues. Sen. Bob Menendez and Rep. Frank Pallone, both Democrats, spoke Tuesday outside MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

Both wrote to the Federal Trade Commission last week urging it to review whether there are adequate safeguards for fantasy football league players.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman launched an investigation into the sites earlier this month and requested internal data from DraftKings and FanDuel.

Recently there have been question about whether employees at DraftKings and FanDuel, two of the more popular sites, have benefited from inside information to win large sums of money.

Menendez and Pallone say it's hypocritical for unregulated fantasy sports leagues to be legal, while wagering on individual games remains illegal.

Both men support Gov. Chris Christie's attempts to make sports gambling legal in New Jersey.

With The Associated Press