NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee's attorney general has called fantasy sports contests illegal gambling.

Attorney General Herbert Slatery issued a formal opinion Tuesday that said fantasy sports betting violates state laws against gambling because participants pay an entry fee to win a prize and a portion of that fee goes to a pot where wins are paid out.

In fantasy sports, players assemble imaginary teams made up of professional sports figures. These virtual teams compete against each other based on how well the real professional players wind up performing in the real world.

The attorney general said that while participants may use skill to select players, the actual performance of many athletes is often left to chance by things like the weather, injuries and referees.

Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, a Democrat from Ripley, requested the opinion.

The opinion is advisory and doesn't change Tennessee law until either a court is asked to dec ide or lawmakers rewrite the laws.

A bill is currently working its way through the legislature that would make clear that fantasy sports is legal but would regulate it. The bill, which has already passed in the Senate, is sponsored by Sen. Jack Johnson of Franklin.