Dem wants list of NFL players, coaches who play daily fantasy sports

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) has asked two large, controversial daily fantasy sports websites to provide a list of National Football League (NFL) personnel who used their services in the last year.

Letters Pallone sent to the websites, FanDuel and DraftKings, on Thursday asked for the names of players, coaches, referees, training personnel and team staff and owners who had used the websites in the last year. It also asked them to provide the total entry fees and winnings of each player.

{mosads}Unlike traditional fantasy sports, which are played over the course of a season, the websites let users pick virtual “teams” for a single day’s contests and win large prizes based on the performance of their players.

Pallone also asked the sites to disclose how they track participants in their contests who may have links to the the leagues and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

DraftKings confirmed it had received the letter and said it was “committed to working with all relevant authorities to ensure that our industry operates in a manner that is completely transparent and fair for all consumers, so that they can continue to play the games they love.” FanDuel did not respond to a request for comment.

The move puts the focus on the NFL’s willingness, unique among the professional leagues, to allow staff members and players to participate in fantasy contests for the league’s own sport. League personnel are not allowed to take home more than $250 in any given season, according to the league.

It also highlights one of Pallone’s major concerns about daily fantasy: He contends that the fantasy websites facilitate gambling and calls professional sports leagues, which generally oppose gambling, hypocritical for partnering with the sites.

That was one of the primary issues Pallone raised when he called for hearings on the industry last month. Since then, however, public conversation about the daily fantasy industry has shifted to concerns that the websites don’t adequately guard against their data being used to gain an advantage in contests on other services.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that a DraftKings employee who inadvertently released internal player data had won $350,000 on FanDuel the same Sunday. A law firm hired by DraftKings said this week that he did not have access to the data until after he could no longer change his FanDuel lineup — but the scandal had already raised questions about the integrity of the platforms.

Pallone and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) have also called for a Federal Trade Commission investigation into the industry, and Department of Justice investigators are reportedly looking into the companies.

Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) has said it seems likely the panel will hold a hearing on the industry at some point. Pallone is the ranking Democrat of the committee.

The House Judiciary Committee is also looking into the questions about DraftKings and FanDuel, according to an aide.