On Tuesday, a Maine committee voted unanimously to table a bill that would change the state’s daily fantasy sports (DFS) rules.
At a meeting of the Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs, chaired by Sen. Craig Hickman, the committee tabled Hickman’s LD33, remarking that there was “a lot to digest.”
Hickman’s bill would clarify the legal and regulatory status of fantasy sports events. It would require at least six participants to participate in a paid fantasy contest, update licensing fees and tax rates, and expressly prohibit all prop betting-based fantasy games.
“I think the intent of the legislation is to try to draw a clearer line between what is considered a fantasy sports contest and what is considered sports wagering,” Rachel Olson, a congressional analyst, said.
There was no fiscal impact statement filed for this law. Hickman stated that, even as the vehicle for the law, he requires more clarity and time to sift through the voluminous research on the DFS.
“There’s a lot here,” he admits. “This small bill has turned up a ton of research that I have a lot of questions about.”
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FanDuel and DraftKings recommended modifications.
Olson stated that various adjustments had been presented, and that comparisons had been made with other states.
“No other states define fantasy contests with a threshold as high as six,” the representative stated. “Most states don’t indicate the number of participants. Most states that do often state one or more.”
FanDuel and DraftKings, both based in Maine, have proposed revisions to make fantasy tournaments open to two or more entrants rather than six. Meanwhile, Olson reported that Maine Gambling Control Unit (MGCU) Executive Director Milt Champion advised that applicants with outstanding applications, like as PrizePicks, be grandfathered in.
Champion and the MGCU have had a strained relationship with DFS in recent years.
Five fantasy providers, including Underdog, ceased operations in the state early last year after failing to renew their licenses.
The MGCU penalized Underdog more than $390,000 in late 2023 for alleged regulatory violations involving its pick’em product, despite Champion’s argument that such offerings did not constitute lawful products under Maine regulations.
In late 2023, the state outlawed pick’em fantasy contests.
Other states, including Illinois, Maryland, Hawaii, and Kentucky, have legislative agendas this year that include DFS regulation.
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