Apparently, playing fantasy football is considered “illegal gambling” in New York. Some of the debate concerns whether fantasy football involves more skill than luck and thus whether it should count as gambling. Here’s my question: why is it a crime to play a game that involves more luck than skill?  Suppose for argument’s sake that getting acting work in Hollywood involves more luck than skill. Even so, we surely shouldn’t imprison those bitten by the acting bug. I’ll take it a step further: playing a game of pure luck shouldn’t be a crime. Suppose I bet you $100 that the coin will land heads. Should the state aggressively restrict and regulate that coin flip? Should I only be permitted to flip coins for money in Las Vegas? In fact, suppose that instead of gambling away that $100, I bury it at an unmarked spot in the desert, never to be seen again. That’s a bad financial decision, but it’s not the government’s business. Are there any persuasive arguments for criminalizing sports betting? (To be clear, that’s not a rhetorical question–I’d be interested in seeing arguments in the comments.)