PrizePicks, Underdog Daily Fantasy Sports Return to Florida Under New Format

While residents of Florida have extremely limited access to our best sports betting sites, some big sports betting news is coming out of the Sunshine State.

PrizePicks and Underdog have returned to the Florida sports betting space with new, legally compliant daily fantasy sports formats after receiving multiple warnings from the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) to discontinue their previous offerings.

The FGCC first informed three betting-adjacent companies - Betr was the third - in September 2023 that their DFS formats weren't compliant with Florida state law. In January, it notified the trio that they had 30 days to halt operations in the state or face potential legal action.

Introducing peer-to-peer DFS gaming

In response, both PrizePicks and Underdog are offering peer-to-peer gaming rather than their previous format, which pit users against "the house." Success isn't measured by odds set by operators, thus fitting peer-to-peer gaming within Florida's legal definition of acceptable gambling.

PrizePicks introduced "PrizePicks Arena,"  which allows customers to compete with one another for cash prizes. PrizePicks is offering users two ways to win under this new format, which requires them to select multiple players from different teams to form a "lineup." They'll then choose whether they think said players will record More or Less (similar to how traditional betting uses Over and Under) than the listed stats.

PrizePicks then assigns players to groups, and whichever user scores the most "points" in that group will win the cash prize. Additionally, if a user creates a "perfect lineup," they'll automatically win.

Underdog's new offering is similar, and will be called "Underdog Pick 'Em Champions."

With Underdog's version, users also create a roster consisting of at least two players (from different teams) and no more than five. Similarly, the user will select whether said players will finish with "higher or lower" their listed stats.

The prize is based on the scoring criteria associated with whichever contest the user chooses to enter. If a single entrant manages the most correct picks, they win the full prize, with it then being split among those who tie. Up to 50,000 entries are available per contest.

New format doesn't cross the line

As it stands, the only legal Florida sports betting site is Hard Rock, which the Seminole Nation provides.

Florida isn't the only state that's forced these DFS operators to alter their format. PrizePicks reached a $15-million settlement with the New York Gaming Commission in February for a similar issue, and it's yet to return to the state.

"PrizePicks Arena" initially launched in the Tennessee sports betting, West Virginia sports betting, Wyoming sports betting, and Alabama sports betting scenes. It's since expanded into the Arizona sports betting and Massachusetts sports betting spaces following similar legal operating issues.