An estimated 50 million Americans play fantasy sports, which have blossomed into a $26 billion industry.

With so many people playing, and so much money at stake, it’s no surprise that law enforcement and government regulators have placed fantasy sports under scrutiny.

Womble Carlyle attorney Christy Dupriest recently discussed the legal issues surrounding fantasy sports with WRAL in Raleigh. As a student at the University of North Carolina School of Law, Dupriest wrote a paper on fantasy sports that still is frequently cited. Dupriest told WRAL that fantasy sports legally differ from gambling due to the skill level involved in playing.

“The elements of skill dominate over the elements of chance that are involved,” she said. “The single-week games have a lot of skill. I think you see that because it’s a small percentage of the players that win most of the games.”

Click here to read “Fantasy Sports under Legal Microscope in NC”.

Christy Dupriest focuses her practice on intellectual property and patent-related disputes for clients in a wide range of industries, including manufacturers and distributors of software, chemical, medical device and packaging products. Dupriest works with patent owners to devise strategies to protect and enforce patent rights and to assess potential patent-related claims. She also works with clients to develop effective defenses against patent infringement claims.