Jun. 15, 2016
HARRISBURG – Legislation sponsored by Rep. George Dunbar (R-Westmoreland) to protect the consumers of daily fantasy sports (DFS) online gaming and require fantasy sports contest providers to be licensed and regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board was unanimously advanced by the House Gaming Oversight Committee today.
“My No. 1 intent behind introducing this legislation is not to prohibit or hinder anyone from enjoying DFS, but instead to preserve and protect this rapidly growing industry,” said Dunbar. “Currently, the Commonwealth has no law on the books regulating fantasy sports. Given that many popular fantasy sports contests involve the daily payment of league fees and substantial cash rewards to winning players, I believe it is time for the state to provide fantasy sports contest participants with the same consumer protections currently given to our casino patrons.”
If enacted, the Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act (
House Bill 2150) would empower the PA Gaming Control Board to regulate the industry and implement the following needed consumer protections:
• Prohibit minors from participating in DFS contests.
• Require confidentiality of a player’s personal and financial information.
• Ensure employees of fantasy sports contest providers do not participate in DFS contests.
• Enforce a participant’s self-exclusion from fantasy contests.
• Require providers and their employees to be adequately trained to refer compulsive and problem fantasy contest participants to the appropriate treatment referral services.
In addition to consumer protection, House Bill 2150 would also establish licensing fees and a tax on the DFS companies.
“House Bill 2150 is the end product of over a year’s worth of negotiating and taking into consideration all of the stakeholders involved,” said Dunbar. “If signed into law, my legislation would be among the first in the nation to codify the legality of DFS so that fantasy sports contest providers can continue to attract even more customers without the additional concerns of insider trading or compulsive gambling addiction. For individual DFS players, very little would change.”
House Bill 2150 now moves to the House floor for consideration. For the latest legislative updates, visit
RepDunbar.com or
Facebook.com/RepDunbar.
Representative George Dunbar
56th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Ty McCauslin
717.772.9979
RepDunbar.com /
Facebook.com/RepDunbar