Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey on Friday "issued her long-awaited regulations" that restrict the daily fantasy sports industry "in a number of ways: who can play, how the games are designed, and where companies can advertise," according to Curt Woodward of the BOSTON GLOBE. DFS companies have until July 1 "to change their practices in Massachusetts." DraftKings and FanDuel both said that they "will comply" (BOSTON GLOBE, 3/26). Healey's office said that the regulations "were developed with the help of DraftKings and FanDuel to ensure the requirements were feasible" (BOSTONHERALD.com, 3/25).
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NEW DFS RULES IN MASSACHUSETTS
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| -- Casual players will get a heads up about the competition as players who enter more than 1,000 contests or win three prizes of $1,000 or more will have to be labeled as "highly experienced." |
| -- Beginners will get their own games; company insiders won't be allowed to play against the general public; players can't create multiple screen names to hide their identity. |
| -- Software programs that give players an edge by identifying weaker opponents, or that quickly submit or change multiple lineups would be prohibited. |
| -- Players under 21 are banned from all DFS contests, even those without cash prizes; college kids from other states can't play while in Mass. |
| -- No contests based on college sports. |
| -- Monthly caps of $1,000 will be in force for all players |
| Source: Boston Globe |
DOMINO EFFECT: In Denver, Joey Bunch in a front-page piece reports a bipartisan bill introduced Thursday "would create a Colorado Office of Fantasy Sports to draft rules that ensure the games are played fair and square and not as a front for illegal gambling" in the state (DENVER POST, 3/28). The AP's Geoff Mulvihill reported Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Friday "signed a bill allowing the state's gambling commission to regulate fantasy sports and charging companies a one-time licensing fee of $50,000 with a $5,000 annual renewal fee." Smaller DFS companies said that the costs "could be devastating to their business." Virginia-based startup Syde CEO Rishi Nangia said that such legislation will "create a market controlled" by DraftKings and FanDuel (AP, 3/27).
