# COMAR Title 36 — Maryland State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency

## Subtitle 09 — Online Fantasy Competition

### Chapter 03 — General Standards and Prohibitions

**Authority:** State Government Article, §§9-1D-01, 9-1D-03, 9-1D-04, and 9-1D-05, Annotated Code of Maryland; Ch. 853, Acts of 2018

**Administrative History:** Effective date:

**Administrative History:** Regulation .01 amended and recodified from COMAR 36.09.01.02 as an emergency provision effective December 16, 2021 (49:3 Md. R. 137); amended permanently effective May 30, 2022 (49:11 Md. R. 610)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .02 amended and recodified from COMAR 36.09.01.03 as an emergency provision effective December 16, 2021 (49:3 Md. R. 137); amended permanently effective May 30, 2022 (49:11 Md. R. 610)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .03 amended and recodified from COMAR 36.09.01.04 as an emergency provision effective December 16, 2021 (49:3 Md. R. 137); amended permanently effective May 30, 2022 (49:11 Md. R. 610)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .04 recodified from COMAR 36.09.01.05 as an emergency provision effective December 16, 2021 (49:3 Md. R. 137); amended permanently effective May 30, 2022 (49:11 Md. R. 610)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .05 amended and recodified from COMAR 36.09.01.10 as an emergency provision effective December 16, 2021 (49:3 Md. R. 137); amended permanently effective May 30, 2022 (49:11 Md. R. 610)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .06 recodified from COMAR 36.09.01.13 as an emergency provision effective December 16, 2021 (49:3 Md. R. 137); amended permanently effective May 30, 2022 (49:11 Md. R. 610)

**Administrative History:** Regulation .07 recodified from COMAR 36.09.01.13 as an emergency provision effective December 16, 2021 (49:3 Md. R. 137); amended permanently effective May 30, 2022 (49:11 Md. R. 610)

**Administrative History:** Chapter revise effective July 7, 2025 (52:13 Md. R. 657)

#### Regulation .01 Individuals Affiliated with the Agency Prohibited from Fantasy Competition Play.

*COMAR 36.09.03.01*

Participation in a fantasy competition is prohibited for:

A. An individual under the age of 18;

B. A Commission member;

C. An employee of the Agency;

D. An individual who lives in the same principal residence as a Commission member or an employee of the Agency and is the member’s, or employee’s:

  (1) Spouse;

  (2) Child;

  (3) Sibling; or

  (4) Parent or parent-in-law; or

E. An individual who has under COMAR 36.09.05.

#### Regulation .02 Individuals Affiliated with Operators Prohibited from Fantasy Competition Play.

*COMAR 36.09.03.02*

A. Except as provided in §B of this regulation an employee, principal, officer, director of an operator, a fantasy competition contractor, or a member of that individual’s immediate family, is prohibited from participating in a fantasy competition offered by that operator.

B. An affiliated individual may participate in a fantasy competition if:

  (1) Participation is for testing purposes; or

  (2) The competition is a private fantasy competition.

#### Regulation .03 Athletes and Affiliates Prohibited from Fantasy Competition Play.

*COMAR 36.09.03.03*

A. An athlete, sports agent, team employee, handler, referee, or league official, or a member of the individual’s immediate family, is prohibited from participating in a fantasy competition that is based on an underlying sporting event in which the individual is affiliated.

B. An athlete, sports agent, team employee, handler, referee, or league official, or a member of that individual’s immediate family, may not enter fantasy competitions based on underlying sporting events in which the individual is a participant through another person as a proxy.

#### Regulation .04 Player Protections.

*COMAR 36.09.03.04*

A. Scripts.

  (1) A fantasy competition operator may not permit the use of a script on a platform if the script would allow a player to gain a competitive advantage by:

    (a) Facilitating changes in many lineups at one time;

    (b) Facilitating use of a commercial product designed to identify advantageous game strategies;

    (c) Submitting entry fees or adjusting the athletes selected by a fantasy competition player; or

    (d) Gathering information about the performance of others for the purpose of identifying or entering competitions against other less successful fantasy competition players.

  (2) Scripts shall be available to all fantasy competition players by incorporation as a game feature or prominently displayed.

B. Beginner Games and Identification of Highly Experienced Players.

  (1) An operator may offer fantasy competitions that are limited to beginner players and exclude highly experienced players.

  (2) An operator shall prominently indicate that a highly experienced player is participating in a fantasy competition by attaching a symbol to the username of a highly experienced player.

C. Fantasy Competition Entries. An operator shall identify the number of entries a fantasy competition player may submit for each fantasy competition.

D. Limit on Number of Accounts. An operator may not permit a player to establish more than one account.

E. Disputes. An operator shall provide a mechanism for a player to raise a dispute with an operator.

F. Data. An operator shall prominently display the source of the data utilized in determining results.

#### Regulation .05 Prohibition on Fantasy Competitions Based on Amateur Sports.

*COMAR 36.09.03.05*

An operator may not offer a fantasy competition based on a sporting event featuring amateur athletes who are primarily under 18 years old.

#### Regulation .06 Prohibition on Advertising.

*COMAR 36.09.03.06*

Except for professional athletes and professional sports, an operator’s advertisement may not depict:

A. Minors;

B. Students; or

C. Schools or colleges.