Boston-based DraftKings is objecting to consumer protection regulations for daily fantasy sports sites proposed by Attorney General Maura Healey.
DraftKings' attorney, Griffin Finan, testified at a hearing that the proposed regulations go too far and would be costly and difficult to implement. He said a regulation limiting deposits by users to $1,000 a month is unnecessarily low, and he said banning college sports from the sites attempts to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.
“We are also concerned with the requirement limiting play to those 18 years or older," he said. "DraftKings believes that its consumers, who currently must be 18 or older in Massachusetts should be able to decide how to spend their money."
Antigambling advocates testified in support of the regulations, and also offered some concerns. Marlene Warner of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling noted that the proposal would require sites to clearly distinguish between beginner and experienced players.
“While I appreciate those distinctions are made to level the playing field, it may also cause one to consider themselves a professional player, something we hear often on our help line,” Werner said.
That self identification, she says, can lead players to lose large amounts of money on the sites. Healey’s proposed regulations could take effect within months.
