§ 1331. Consumer protection

(a) A fantasy sports operator shall adopt commercially reasonable policies and procedures to:

(1) prevent participation in a fantasy sports contest it offers to the public with a cash prize of $5.00 or more by:

(A) the fantasy sports operator;

(B) an employee of the fantasy sports operator or a relative of the employee who lives in the same household; or

(C) a professional athlete or official who participates in one or more real world sporting events in the same sport as the fantasy sports contest;

(2) prevent the disclosure of confidential fantasy sports contest information to an unauthorized person;

(3) require that a fantasy sports player is 18 years of age or older and verify the age of each player using one or more commercially available databases, which the government or businesses regularly use to verify and authenticate age and identity;

(4) limit and disclose to prospective players the number of entries a fantasy sports player may submit for each fantasy sports contest;

(5) limit a fantasy sports player to not more than one username or account;

(6) prohibit the use of computer scripts that provide a player with a competitive advantage over another player;

(7) segregate player funds from operational funds, or maintain a reserve in the form of cash, cash equivalents, payment processor receivables, payment processor reserves, an irrevocable letter of credit, a bond, or a combination thereof in an amount that equals or exceeds the amount of deposits in fantasy sports player accounts, for the benefit and protection of fantasy sports player funds held in the player’s accounts; and

(8) notify fantasy sports players that winnings of a certain amount may be subject to income taxation.

(b) A fantasy sports operator shall have the following duties:

(1) The operator shall provide a link on its website to information and resources addressing addiction and compulsive behavior and where to seek assistance with these issues in Vermont and nationally.

(2)(A) The operator shall enable a fantasy sports player to restrict irrevocably the player’s own ability to participate in a fantasy sports contest, for a period of time the player specifies, by submitting a request to the operator through its website or by online chat with the operator’s agent.

(B) The operator shall provide to a player who self-restricts the player’s participation information concerning:

(i) available resources addressing addiction and compulsive behavior;

(ii) how to close an account and restrictions on opening a new account during the period of self-restriction;

(iii) requirements to reinstate an account at the end of the period; and

(iv) how the operator addresses reward points and account balances during and after the period of self-restriction, and when the player closes the player’s account.

(3) The operator shall provide a player access to the following information for the previous six months:

(A) a player’s play history, including money spent, games played, previous line-ups, and prizes awarded; and

(B) a player’s account details, including deposit amounts, withdrawal amounts, and bonus information, including amounts remaining for a pending bonus and amounts released to the player.

(c)(1) A fantasy sports operator shall contract with a third party to perform an annual independent audit, consistent with the standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, to ensure compliance with the requirements in this chapter.

(2) The fantasy sports operator shall submit the results of the independent audit to the Attorney General.

(d) A fantasy sports operator shall not extend credit to a fantasy sports player.

(e) A fantasy sports operator shall not offer a fantasy sports contest based on the performance of participants in college, high school, or youth athletic events. (Added 2023, No. 63, § 1, eff. June 14, 2023.)