The Ohio Casino Control Commission has released a first draft of proposed rules for fantasy sports contests. Former Governor John Kasich signed into law HB132, a bill that clarifies the legality of such contests and grants the OCCC authority over the industry. The bill also ordered the OCCC to adopt rules regulating fantasy sports contests. These rules are not yet finalized. Comments were due earlier this month.

Among the proposed rules:

3-year licenses. Amount paid is determined by the number of fantasy contest players who paid at least one entry fee in the prior 12 months. A fantasy sports operator that has at least 15,000 players would pay $30,000, the maximum amount permitted under HB132. Operators with between 10,000 and 15,000 players would pay $15,000, between 5,000 and 10,000 players would cost $10,000 and fewer than 5,000 players would cost $5,000;

Within 5 business days, a fantasy contest operator must complete the following:

• Distribute prizes won into a contest player’s account;
• Perform fund withdrawal requests from a contest player’s account;
• Grant a request to close a contest player’s account.

Operators aren’t permitted to offer the following:

• Auto draft functionality to contest players;
• Choose from pre-selected rosters of athletes;
• Any means of athlete selection that doesn’t involve the input or control of a contest player;
• Proposition selection which includes gambling on whether or not a specific player or team will achieve a specified goal during a given game.