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<chapter num="03" heading="General Standards and Prohibitions" title_num="36" subtitle_num="09">
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".01" heading="Individuals Affiliated with the Agency Prohibited from Fantasy Competition Play.">
    <text>Participation in a fantasy competition is prohibited for:</text>
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>An individual under the age of 18;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>A Commission member;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="C.">
      <text>An employee of the Agency;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="D.">
      <text>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:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Spouse;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Child;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(3)">
        <text>Sibling; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(4)">
        <text>Parent or parent-in-law; or</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="E.">
      <text>An individual who has under COMAR 36.09.05.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".02" heading="Individuals Affiliated with Operators Prohibited from Fantasy Competition Play.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>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.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>An affiliated individual may participate in a fantasy competition if:</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>Participation is for testing purposes; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>The competition is a private fantasy competition.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".03" heading="Athletes and Affiliates Prohibited from Fantasy Competition Play.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>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.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>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.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".04" heading="Player Protections.">
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>Scripts.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>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:</text>
        <paragraph num="(a)">
          <text>Facilitating changes in many lineups at one time;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(b)">
          <text>Facilitating use of a commercial product designed to identify advantageous game strategies;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(c)">
          <text>Submitting entry fees or adjusting the athletes selected by a fantasy competition player; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(d)">
          <text>Gathering information about the performance of others for the purpose of identifying or entering competitions against other less successful fantasy competition players.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>Scripts shall be available to all fantasy competition players by incorporation as a game feature or prominently displayed.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>Beginner Games and Identification of Highly Experienced Players.</text>
      <paragraph num="(1)">
        <text>An operator may offer fantasy competitions that are limited to beginner players and exclude highly experienced players.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(2)">
        <text>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.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="C.">
      <text>Fantasy Competition Entries. An operator shall identify the number of entries a fantasy competition player may submit for each fantasy competition.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="D.">
      <text>Limit on Number of Accounts. An operator may not permit a player to establish more than one account.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="E.">
      <text>Disputes. An operator shall provide a mechanism for a player to raise a dispute with an operator.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="F.">
      <text>Data. An operator shall prominently display the source of the data utilized in determining results.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".05" heading="Prohibition on Fantasy Competitions Based on Amateur Sports.">
    <text>An operator may not offer a fantasy competition based on a sporting event featuring amateur athletes who are primarily under 18 years old.</text>
  </regulation>
  <regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".06" heading="Prohibition on Advertising.">
    <text>Except for professional athletes and professional sports, an operator’s advertisement may not depict:</text>
    <paragraph num="A.">
      <text>Minors;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="B.">
      <text>Students; or</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="C.">
      <text>Schools or colleges.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </regulation>
  <annotations>
    <annotation type="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</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Effective date:</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="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)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="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)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="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)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="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)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="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)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="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)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="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)</annotation>
    <annotation type="History" subtype="Administrative History">Chapter revise effective July 7, 2025 (52:13 Md. R. 657)</annotation>
  </annotations>
</chapter>