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House Study Bill 630 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1relating to fantasy sports contests and internet fantasy
2sports contest players.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 99E.1, subsection 3, Code 2024, is
2amended by striking the subsection and inserting in lieu
3thereof the following:
43. a. “Fantasy sports contest” means any internet fantasy
5or simulated game or contest of skill for which all of the
6following are true:
7(1) All players are required to pay an entry fee in order
8to participate.
9(2) The values of all prizes and awards offered to winning
10players are established and made known to the players in
11advance of the contest.
12(3) All winning outcomes reflect the relative knowledge and
13skill of the players.
14(4) All players assemble, own, or manage a fictional entry
15or roster of actual professional or amateur athletes in any of
16the following:
17(a) A real-world sporting event.
18(b) An organized video game competition that is regulated by
19a governing body and that is held between professional athletes
20who play individually or as teams.
21(5) Players compete for prizes awarded by a fantasy sports
22contest operator based on terms and conditions published by the
23fantasy sports contest operator and made known to all players
24prior to the contest.
25(6) All winning outcomes are determined solely by clearly
26established scoring criteria based on one or more statistical
27results of the performance of an individual athlete, including
28but not limited to a fantasy score, and are not solely based
29on the score, point spread, or performance or performances of
30any single actual team or combination of teams, or solely on
31any single performance of an individual athlete in any single
32actual event.
33b. “Fantasy sports contest” includes but is not limited to
34contests in which multiple players compete against each other
35and contests in which a single player competes against a target
-1-1score set by the fantasy sports contest operator.
2 Sec. 2. Section 99E.1, subsection 6, Code 2024, is amended
3to read as follows:
46. a. “Internet fantasy sports contest player” or “player”
5 means a natural person who is at least twenty-one years of age
6and participates in an internet fantasy sports contest operated
7by an internet fantasy sports contest service provider.
8b. “Internet fantasy sports contest player” or “player” does
9not include an internet fantasy sports contest service provider
10by virtue of the provider doing any of the following:
11(1) Setting house rules for a fantasy sports contest.
12(2) Assigning a salary or target score to an eligible
13athlete.
14(3) Accepting an entry fee from an internet fantasy sports
15contest player.
16(4) Awarding or disbursing prizes to a winning internet
17fantasy sports contest player.
18EXPLANATION
19The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
20the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
21This bill relates to the definitions of “fantasy sports
22contest” and “internet fantasy sports contest player”.
23Under current law, “fantasy sports contest” (contest)
24is defined as any fantasy or simulated contest in which
25the fantasy sports contest operator is not a participant in
26the contest, the values of all prizes and awards offered to
27winning participants are established and made known to the
28participants in advance of the contest, all winning outcomes
29reflect the relative knowledge and skill of the participants
30and are determined by accumulated statistical results of the
31performance of individuals, including athletes, and no winning
32outcome is solely based on the score, point spread, or any
33performance or performances of any single actual team or solely
34on any single performance of an individual athlete or player
35in any single actual event. Under the bill, the definition
-2-1of “fantasy sports contest” also requires that players pay
2an entry fee to participate in the contest, and that all
3players assemble, own, or manage a fictional entry or roster of
4athletes in real-world sporting events or a regulated organized
5video game competition held between professional athletes. The
6bill provides that “fantasy sports contest” includes a contest
7in which multiple players compete against each other and a
8contest in which a single player competes against a target
9score set by the fantasy sports contest operator.
10Under current law, “internet fantasy sports contest player”
11(player) is defined as a person who is at least 21 years of age
12and participates in a contest operated by an internet fantasy
13sports contest service provider (provider). Under the bill, a
14player is a natural person who is at least 21 years of age and
15participates in a contest operated by provider. A player does
16not include a provider by virtue of the provider setting house
17rules for a contest, assigning a salary or target score for
18an athlete, accepting an entry fee from a player, or awarding
19prizes to a winning player.
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2sports contest players.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 99E.1, subsection 3, Code 2024, is
2amended by striking the subsection and inserting in lieu
3thereof the following:
43. a. “Fantasy sports contest” means any internet fantasy
5or simulated game or contest of skill for which all of the
6following are true:
7(1) All players are required to pay an entry fee in order
8to participate.
9(2) The values of all prizes and awards offered to winning
10players are established and made known to the players in
11advance of the contest.
12(3) All winning outcomes reflect the relative knowledge and
13skill of the players.
14(4) All players assemble, own, or manage a fictional entry
15or roster of actual professional or amateur athletes in any of
16the following:
17(a) A real-world sporting event.
18(b) An organized video game competition that is regulated by
19a governing body and that is held between professional athletes
20who play individually or as teams.
21(5) Players compete for prizes awarded by a fantasy sports
22contest operator based on terms and conditions published by the
23fantasy sports contest operator and made known to all players
24prior to the contest.
25(6) All winning outcomes are determined solely by clearly
26established scoring criteria based on one or more statistical
27results of the performance of an individual athlete, including
28but not limited to a fantasy score, and are not solely based
29on the score, point spread, or performance or performances of
30any single actual team or combination of teams, or solely on
31any single performance of an individual athlete in any single
32actual event.
33b. “Fantasy sports contest” includes but is not limited to
34contests in which multiple players compete against each other
35and contests in which a single player competes against a target
-1-1score set by the fantasy sports contest operator.
2 Sec. 2. Section 99E.1, subsection 6, Code 2024, is amended
3to read as follows:
46. a. “Internet fantasy sports contest player” or “player”
5 means a natural person who is at least twenty-one years of age
6and participates in an internet fantasy sports contest operated
7by an internet fantasy sports contest service provider.
8b. “Internet fantasy sports contest player” or “player” does
9not include an internet fantasy sports contest service provider
10by virtue of the provider doing any of the following:
11(1) Setting house rules for a fantasy sports contest.
12(2) Assigning a salary or target score to an eligible
13athlete.
14(3) Accepting an entry fee from an internet fantasy sports
15contest player.
16(4) Awarding or disbursing prizes to a winning internet
17fantasy sports contest player.
18EXPLANATION
19The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
20the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
21This bill relates to the definitions of “fantasy sports
22contest” and “internet fantasy sports contest player”.
23Under current law, “fantasy sports contest” (contest)
24is defined as any fantasy or simulated contest in which
25the fantasy sports contest operator is not a participant in
26the contest, the values of all prizes and awards offered to
27winning participants are established and made known to the
28participants in advance of the contest, all winning outcomes
29reflect the relative knowledge and skill of the participants
30and are determined by accumulated statistical results of the
31performance of individuals, including athletes, and no winning
32outcome is solely based on the score, point spread, or any
33performance or performances of any single actual team or solely
34on any single performance of an individual athlete or player
35in any single actual event. Under the bill, the definition
-2-1of “fantasy sports contest” also requires that players pay
2an entry fee to participate in the contest, and that all
3players assemble, own, or manage a fictional entry or roster of
4athletes in real-world sporting events or a regulated organized
5video game competition held between professional athletes. The
6bill provides that “fantasy sports contest” includes a contest
7in which multiple players compete against each other and a
8contest in which a single player competes against a target
9score set by the fantasy sports contest operator.
10Under current law, “internet fantasy sports contest player”
11(player) is defined as a person who is at least 21 years of age
12and participates in a contest operated by an internet fantasy
13sports contest service provider (provider). Under the bill, a
14player is a natural person who is at least 21 years of age and
15participates in a contest operated by provider. A player does
16not include a provider by virtue of the provider setting house
17rules for a contest, assigning a salary or target score for
18an athlete, accepting an entry fee from a player, or awarding
19prizes to a winning player.
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