Disclaimer:
The list of states introducing legislation and regulation for daily fantasy sports contests is constantly changing. We make every effort to keep this list as current as possible, but sometimes a game changer slips into our blindspot.
Last modified: May 12, 2021
Alabama
- Prohibits contests based on collegiate or amateur events
- Registration: Required
- Registration Fee: If operator has gross revenue > $10M then $85k; If operator gross revenue < $10M then $1k
- Minimum Age: 19
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
Case: Manzella v. DraftKings
Court: Northern District Alabama
Status: Transferred to District of Massachusetts for consolidated pre-trial proceedings, In re: Daily Fantasy Sports Litigation.
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
- Exempts DFS from gambling prohibition laws
- Prohibits contests based on collegiate or high school events
- Registration: Not Required
- Tax: 8% of in-state revenue
California
Case: Spiegel v. Draftkings
Court: Central District of California
Status: Transferred to District of Massachusetts for consolidated pre-trial proceedings, In re: Daily Fantasy Sports Litigation.
Colorado
- Exempts DFS from gambling prohibition laws
- License – Standard Operator: Required
- License – Small Operator2: Not Required
- License Fee – Standard Operator: TBD
- Registration – Standard Operator: Not Required
- Registration – Small Operator2: Required
- Registration Fee – Small Operator2 : TBD
- Regulatory Fee: Required, annually
- Tax: None
- Minimum Age: 18
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
2 Small fantasy contest operators have no more than 7,500 fantasy contest players in Colorado.
3 “Net revenue” is defined as the amount equal to the total entry fees collected from all participants entering such fantasy sports contests less winnings paid to participants in the contests, multiplied by the resident percentage.
4 “Highly experienced player” has (a) Entered more than one thousand contests offered by a single fantasy sports contest operator; or (b) Won more than three fantasy sports prizes of one thousand dollars or more.
Connecticut
- Exempts DFS from gambling prohibition laws
- Registration Fee: $15,000 or 10% of gross in-state revenue
- Registration Term: 1 year
- Tax: 10.5% ofgross in-state revenue
- Minimum Age: 18
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
Kentucky
- Registration: Required
- Registration Fee: $5,000
- Registration Renewal: Required, annually
- Registration Renewal Fee: $5,000 or 6% of adjusted gross revenue earned in the previous year, whichever is greater
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
Louisiana
- Exempts DFS from gambling prohibition laws
- Authorizes Louisiana Gambling Control Board to regulate online DFS contests
Maine
- Exempts DFS from gambling prohibition laws
- Prohibits contests based on collegiate or high school events
- Registration: Required
- Registration Fee: 10% of in-state revenue, up to $5,000
- License Fee: If Gross Revenues in past year > $100,000, then license fee is $2,500; if Gross Revenues in past year < $100,000, then license fee is $0
- Minimum Age: 18
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
Maryland
- Exempts DFS from gambling prohibition laws
- Operators must prevent use of third-party scripts for entering contests
- Operators must identify experienced players4
- Prohibits offering college sports contests
- Minimum Age: 18
- Deposit Limit: $1,000 per month; However, a player may request a temporary increase in deposit limit
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
Massachusetts
- Authorizes lottery commission to implement online fantasy sports via players purchasing pre-paid cards from the state gambling commission
- Permits operators to bid on providing the commission an online platform for DFS contests
- Requires operators provide a “free-play site”
- Minimum Age: 21
- Deposit Limit: $1,000 per month; However, a player may request a temporary increase in deposit limit
Case: Haroldson v. DraftKings; Belton v. DraftKings
Court: District of Massachusetts
Status: Transferred to District of Massachusetts for consolidated pre-trial proceedings, In re: Daily Fantasy Sports Litigation.
Michigan
- License: Required
- License Fee: $5,000, with a cap of 10% net revenue
- License Renewal Fee: $1,000, with a cap of 10% of net revenue
- License Term: 1 year
- Initial Fee: $10,000
- Renewal Fee: $5,000
- Tax: None
- Minimum Age: 18
- Prohibits contests based on college, high school, or youth sports events
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
Minnesota
- Registration: Required
- Registration Fee: $500, annually
- Audit: Required, annually
- Minimum Age: 18
Mississippi
- Legalizes fantasy contests with an entry fee
- License: Required
- License Fee: $5,000
- License Term: 3 years
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
Missouri
- Exempts DFS from gambling prohibition laws
- Allows operators prior to April 1, 2016, to continue until receipt or denial of license. Must apply by October 1, 2016
- Requires operators offer “beginner-only” contests, in which highly experienced players4are not permitted to participate
- License: Required, from Gaming Commission
- Registration Fee: $10,000 annual fee or 10% of net revenue3 from previous year
- Licensing Renewal Fee: $0-$5,000 based on net revenues from previous year
- Tax: 11.5%
- Audit: Required, annually
- Minimum Age: 18
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
1 Major operators considered include FanDuel, DraftKings, and Yahoo!
2 Small fantasy contest operators have no more than 7,500 fantasy contest players in Colorado.
3 “Net revenue” is defined as the amount equal to the total entry fees collected from all participants entering such fantasy sports contests less winnings paid to participants in the contests, multiplied by the resident percentage.
4 “Highly experienced player” has (a) Entered more than one thousand contests offered by a single fantasy sports contest operator; or (b) Won more than three fantasy sports prizes of one thousand dollars or more.
Montana
- Clarifies that online fantasy sports are illegal under the state’s gambling laws
- Permits small, social fantasy sports leagues between acquaintances
Nebraska
- Registration: Required
- Registration Fee: $10,000
- Registration Renewal Fee: 6% of in-state revenue
- Minimum Age: 19
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
Nevada
New Hampshire
- Registration: Required
- Registration Fee: None Required
- Registration Term: 1 year
- Tax: None Required
- Minimum Age: 18
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
New Jersey
- Licensed casino partner OR at least one of operator’s servers must be located in Atlantic City, NJ
- Registration: Required
- Registration Fee: Based on Revenue
- Revenue: $0 – $49,999, Registration Fee: $5,000
- Revenue: $50,000 – $99,999, Registration Fee: $10,000
- Revenue: $100,000 – $250,000, Registration Fee: $20,000
- Revenue: Over $250,000, Registration Fee: $50,000
- Tax: 10.5% of in-state revenue, paid quarterly
- Minimum Age: 18
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
- New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association v. NCAA
- Court: United States Supreme Court
- Status: Supreme Court granted certiorari for NCAA v. Governor of New Jersey, argument set for 12/04/2017
- NCAA v. Governor of New Jersey
- Court: Third Circuit Court of Appeals
- Status: Held that New Jersey law repealing the state’s sports betting ban violates federal law
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
New Mexico
New York
- Exempts DFS from gambling prohibition laws
- Allows operators prior to November 10, 2015, to continue to operate until receipt or denial of registration
- Each registrant must submit a report to the commission by June 13 of each year
- Registration: Required, from New York State Gaming Commission
- Registration Term: 3 years
- Registration Fee: None
- Tax: 15.5%, not to exceed $50,000
- Minimum Age: 18
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
Case: Johnson v. FanDuel; Weaver v. FanDuel; White v. DraftKings; Brown v. DraftKings; McDaid v. DraftKings; Belton v. FanDuel
Court: Southern District of New York
Status: Transferred to District of Massachusetts for consolidated pre-trial proceedings, In re: Daily Fantasy Sports Litigation.
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
North Carolina
- Exempts DFS from gambling prohibition laws
- Registration: Required
- Registration Fee: $2,500-$10,000, depending on revenue
- Registration Renewal: Required, annually
- Registration Renewal Fee: Lesser of $5,000 or 10% of revenue
- Minimum Age: 18
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
North Dakota
Ohio
- License: Required
- License Fee: Not to exceed $10,000 per year or $30,000 per three years
- Registration Fee: Based on Players
- Players: < 5,000, Registration Fee: $3,000
- Players: 5,000 – 9,999, Registration Fee: $9,000
- Players: 10,000 – 14,999, Registration Fee: $15,000
- Players: Over 15,000, Registration Fee: $30,000
- Tax: None
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
- Operators required to maintain a place of business within Pennsylvania
- License: Required
- License Fee: $50,000
- License Term: 5 years
- License Renewal fee: $10,000
- Tax: 15% of gross revenue
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
- Allows current operators 60 days after applications are made available to continue operating
- License: Required, from Secretary of State
- Registration Fee: $1000-75,000 + $300 application fee
- Tax: 6%
- Minimum Age: 18
- Deposit Limit: $2500
- Audit: Required, annually
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
- Creates an advisory task force to study and report findings by July 1, 2017
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
Texas
- Exempts DFS from gambling prohibition laws
- Minimum Age: 18
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
Utah
Vermont
- Exempts DFS from gambling prohibition laws
- Directs Attorney General and Executive Branch to propose registration fee and tax framework by 12/15/17
-
Registration: Required, annually
-
Registration Fee: $5,000, effective immediately
-
Tax: TBD
-
Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
Virginia
- Exempts DFS from gambling prohibition laws
- Registration: Required, from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
- Registration Fee: $8,300
- Registration Term: 1 year
- Tax: None
- Minimum Age: 18
- Audit: Required, annually
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.
Washington
- Exempts DFS from gambling prohibition laws
West Virginia
Wisconsin
- Exempts DFS from gambling prohibition laws
- Registration: Required, with the Department of Financial Institutions
- Registration Fee: 3% of net revenue earned in the previous year but not to exceed $10,000 or, if the fantasy contest operator did not earn net revenue in the previous year, $500
- Registration Term: 1 year
- Registration Renewal Fee: 3% of net revenue earned during the previous registration period, annually
- Tax: None
- Audit: Required for operators that have a net revenue of over $250,000/year
- Establishes standard consumer protection protocol*
*Consumer protection language is relatively standardized between states. These procedures include, but are not limited to: ensuring reasonable efforts are made to identify and block unauthorized users (by age, state, or voluntary self-exclusion); holding registered players’ funds in individual trusts separate from other accounts; preventing unethical advertising techniques such as promoting misleading award offerings and targeting self-excluded individuals, minors; requiring operators make all prizes and awards known in advance of contests and ensuring such awards are not determined by the number or participants in that contest.