Daily fantasy sports companies settle with Massachusetts

Daily fantasy sports market leaders FanDuel and DraftKings have each paid $1.3 million in settlement agreements with the Attorney General of Massachusetts in respect of unspecified offences generally described as “various consumer issues that existed at the early stages of this new industry.”

The settlements follow a larger settlement of $12 million the two DFS operators paid last year in New York for marketing related offences.

Announcing the settlement this week, Massachusetts AG Maura Healey emphasised that the two companies had cooperated fully with her investigation of the issue.

“I am glad to have reached these settlements to address various consumer issues that existed at the early stages of this new industry,” AG Healey said in a press release Thursday.

“We have since implemented a set of comprehensive regulations that provide consumers with broad-ranging protections and that have served as a model for many other states.”

Healey has been prominent in framing consumer protection-leaning regulations controlling legalised DFS activity in Massachusetts – work which other states have used as a template for their individual regulations governing DFS.

“Both DraftKings and FanDuel cooperated throughout the investigation and have made significant changes to their business models to protect consumers with respect to gameplay fairness, protections for minors, responsible gaming requirements, fairness in advertising, and data and funds security. Each company represents that it is now in full compliance with the applicable regulatory requirements,” Healey added.

Spokesmen from both DFS companies confirmed their agreement and the settlement, praising the work of the Massachusetts AG.