In the historical state of New Mexico, it’s a wonder why a more free approach to gambling took so long to materialize. Nevertheless, the last thirty years have seen a spike in new gambling legislation that allows constituents to enjoy a variety of gambling activities, including Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS). With all major DFS operators active in the state, New Mexico is a fantasy sports player’s dream.

Todd Winkler, Editor at online-gambling.com

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Todd Winkler has been an editor at online-gambling.com for 6 years. His focus is on guides and articles about poker games, blackjack, and DFS. With relatives in New Zealand, he is also well aware of the gambling industry in the country.

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Online Daily Fantasy Sports in New Mexico – Overview

For the last three years, there has been very little action on the legalization front for DFS. While a bill was introduced by lawmakers to determine that DFS is legal and consequently regulate the activity in 2016, the bill has been largely ignored year after year. Some believe that lawmakers are waiting to see how neighbor states react to DFS legalization before making any big moves, while others are hoping that the states ‘predominance’ test to determine whether or not DFS gambling is based on luck or skill will come up in favor of the state’s passionate players.

Either way, DFS contestants in New Mexico are currently free to play as they wish. While legalization is preferable due to the consumer protection clauses that tend to come with it as well as stipulations regarding tax revenue, there is no reason for players to be worried about breaking the law.

Below, we have listed the top sports leagues in New Mexico and how they can be played in DFS.

Online Daily Fantasy NFL – An Online Blitz

As the favorite sport of many New Mexicans, it’s no wonder why the NFL Fantasy League is the most popular DFS league. In NFL Fantasy, players are to draft 9 of their favorite NFL stars into their lineup in either public or private contests, including popular currently playing New Mexico-native Washington Redskins player Colt McCoy. Contestants earn points based on the real-life performances of their players.

Online Daily Fantasy NBA – Have You Court A Winner?

Also wildly popular in New Mexico is the National Basketball Association. In the NBA Fantasy league, players must draft a lineup of 8 players from at least two different NBA games – all within a salary cap of $50,000 or under. As with other DFS, contests are won based on how many points each team member earns in real-life, e.g. 1 point for every point scored, 2 points for a block. Despite New Mexico having no teams in the NBA this hasn’t stopped legions of fans rushing to draft NBA DFS teams.

Online Daily Fantasy MLB – Build A Diamond-Standard Team

New Mexican residents tend to root for a number of different teams in Major League Baseball, and it’s this in-depth understanding of neighbor states’ teams that give them a well-rounded advantage to play MLB Fantasy. In MLB Fantasy, players draft a team of 10 players. Scoring can be generous in baseball games – which in our opinion can make for a much more exciting and interesting experience.

Online Daily Fantasy MLS – Goal!

New Mexicans have a reputation for enjoying leisure sports, but this doesn’t stop them from loving a traditional viewing party of major sports games. This includes the Major Soccer League, which continues to attract more local fans with every passing season. The MLS Fantasy League sees contestants draft a team of 8 players from at least two different games. Contests are won by players scoring points and also by not having points deducted, e.g. while goals score 10 points, red cards will result in a 3 point deduction.

College Fantasy Sport – The Most Popular League In New Mexico

Due to the lack of major league professional teams in the state, many New Mexico residents are big followers of college sports – ranging from cross country, skiing, football, and baseball. While the University of New Mexico is home to a number of great teams in their New Mexico Lobos program, we have chosen to highlight the New Mexico State Aggies of the New Mexico State University due to the recent win of their baseball team in the NCAA Western Athletic Conference.

Over their history, the Aggies have sent an impressive 59 former players to the MLB draft. As excitement builds for their 2019 NCAA tournament appearance, you can bet that College DFS lineups will be full of Aggies players.

Timeline of Daily Fantasy Sports Legislation

New Mexico has an interesting history with gambling. While some activities are fair game for state residents, some, like online gambling, are strictly illegal. Luckily, New Mexicans have great land-based casino offerings, a state lottery, pari-mutuel wagering and of course, DFS. Below, we have created a timeline of important years in New Mexico’s gambling history. For more information on gambling in the state, visit our dedicated New Mexico gambling page .

Legal Daily Fantasy Betting Age in New Mexico

The gambling age laws in New Mexico state that all players must be over 18 years old to bet on DFS, the state lottery, racing, while they must be 21 years old to be in casinos and on KENO. Players caught gambling underage may not receive any punishment for doing so, but gambling operators knowingly allowing underage gambling may face a fine of up to $5,000 and 18 months imprisonment.

• DFS Betting Age
  Players must be 18 years old to partake in DFS in New Mexico.
• Alcohol Age
  You must be 21 years old to drink alcohol in New Mexico.
• Weed Age
  Recreational smoking of cannabis is still illegal in New Mexico.

Is Daily Fantasy Betting Legal Outside of the State?

Daily Fantasy League betting is now legal in most states in the USA, with only nine states having specific anti-DFS legislation. Montana, Nevada and New Mexico’s neighbor Arizona. There are a number of reasons why some of these states do not allow DFS and probably never will, with some local politicians and residents considering all forms of gambling to be a vice, whether they are games of skill or games of chance. Regardless, there are still a few states that could welcome DFS in the near future – it will just be a matter of jumping through some legislative hoops to overturn confusing and outdated laws.

The Best Fantasy Sports App in New Mexico

We’re lucky that our favorite Fantasy Sports operators have built dedicated DFS apps to make sure that players can bet while on the go. Even most operators that haven’t have mobile-optimized web apps, so drafting, betting and checking scores is as convenient as can be. According to our experience, we believe that the DraftKings app would suit all your needs in DFS betting.

Taxes on Daily Fantasy Winnings: Legal Overview

Your winnings from DFS are subject to federal taxes in New Mexico. Gambling winnings are fully taxable at a rate of 25% for federal taxes. For more info, visit the website of the IRS or the Taxation and Revenue Department in New Mexico.

Upcoming Regulation Changes to Be Aware Of

There has been little news about daily fantasy sports being regulated since the DFS bill was first introduced in 2016. However, now that lawmakers have successfully allowed sports betting in the state and are gradually allowing casinos to open their own sportsbook, there’s no reason why they can’t agree to get a fair DFS bill over the finish line.

What is plain to see, based on the state’s readiness to allow sports betting (they were the sixth state to do so) and the popularity of their Las Vegas-style casinos, is that New Mexicans love both sports and gambling, so it makes very little sense for residents to be allowed more clarity and consumer protection when it comes to enjoying fantasy sports drafting.

Daily Fantasy Guides for Nearby States

• Arizona
• Utah
• Colorado
• Texas