AG to heavily regulate daily fantasy sports
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Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey (right) with state Sen. Karen Spilka (D-Ashland).
Individuals under the age of 21 would be prohibited from playing the relatively new form of sports wagering known as daily fantasy sports, under regulations outlined Thursday morning by Attorney General Maura Healey.
The regulations would also ban fantasy sports games in Massachusetts that are based on NCAA college sports and ban advertising for such games at high school and college campuses.
At a press conference in Boston, Healey described the regulations as the first of their kind and said they are intended to protect consumers who are selecting athletes and placing wagers with the hopes of winning jackpots by outscoring other fantasy sports participants.
"These are the rules of the road should they wish to continue to operate here in Massachusetts," Healey said.
Healey said the regulations would also seek to ensure more truthful advertising and increased transparency from fantasy sports game operators, such as FanDuel and DraftKings.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has taken a different approach to fantasy sports, ripping the industry as illegal gambling and issuing a cease and desist order to shut the industry down.
The regulations, which Healey said she will file with the Secretary of State's office on Friday, will be the subject of a Jan. 12 public hearing. A public comment period will be open until Jan. 22.
Since the start of the NFL season in September and a deluge of fantasy sports business ads, Beacon Hill has been abuzz with debate over whether daily fantasy sports is gambling or a game of skill, and whether the state ought to regulate the burgeoning industry.
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