An Open Letter from the FireLeague CEO #1

Thursday, 25 August 2011 23:38

Dear friends and colleagues:

I want to take this opportunity to address the values of integrity, honesty, and wisdom and how they relate to our responsibilities as purveyors of fantasy sports contests.

I have a very clear memory of a moment in my childhood when I learned for the first time what it truly meant to be financially responsible. I’m not sure why the memory stayed with me for so many years. Of all of the experiences of my childhood this one seems so trivial and yet it’s always stuck with me. I did not realize it at the time but looking back as an adult I see that moment with greater clarity. My father decided to treat the family to dinner at Pizza Hut. That was a big deal for our family because we didn’t have a lot of money and we ate out very rarely. At the end of the meal the waiter came by and placed the check on the table. Being a curious boy I decided to pick up that piece of paper and see what it was all about. I got about two fingers on that check before my father shot his hand across the table and stopped me. I looked up in surprise, what was the big deal it was just a piece of paper. My father looked directly into my eyes and said, “If you ever pick up the check at a dinner table you better be prepared to pay it”. Those words were said with such meaning and conviction that I did not question them for one second. I carefully withdrew my hand, along with any thought of going near a dinner check for the next 12 years. In fact I did not touch another check at a dinner table until my early 20s after I’d enlisted in the military, and I understood what it meant to earn a paycheck and that right.

I think the lessons I learned growing up, and the respect (not to be confused with adoration) that I was taught for money are why I’m so utterly flabbergasted when I hear about fantasy gaming websites that aren’t paying their customers. It’s an alien concept to me. Not once have I ever considered what would happen if we couldn’t pay our customers because we’ve never had a business plan that factored in that possibility. In other words the prize money was always accounted for first, always placed in an insured bank account, never to be touched until it was time to send out checks. I would urge any businesses that don’t currently do this to reconsider. It’s not only wise; it’s also a legal obligation. Most fantasy gaming customers may not realize this, but there is very specific language regarding fantasy sports in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. That law includes the following guideline for fantasy sports games:

"prizes and awards offered to winning participants are established and made known to the participants in advance of the game or contest and their value is not determined by the number of participants or the amount of any fees paid by those participants."

There are three important things to take away from this statement.

1. It is Federal Law.
2. Fantasy sports games are not considered gambling as long as they meet the criteria defined in the law.
3. All of the prize amounts must be known beforehand.

It is #3 that is most relevant to this letter as it essentially means that all fantasy gaming businesses know ahead of time exactly how much they will need to pay their customers. That is why there can be no excuse for any company that can’t find the money to pay prizes following the end of a contest.

So how do we fix this? I believe there needs to be more done to advocate on behalf of fantasy players and their rights. The fantasy sports industry needs to realize that without more player advocacy our industry will simply run itself into the ground like so many of these failed fantasy sites. I sometimes feel that there is a misconception that revenue is more important than the customer. This is a self defeating and ultimately degenerative idea. The customer has not, and will never be, a commodity to be consumed, recycled, and discarded. Sure, anyone can pump-up revenue numbers in the short term at the cost of the customer but how long can that last? Providing fantasy sports games is a service plain and simple. I’m tempted to get into the topic of customer service at this point but I’ll hold back and we’ll save that discussion for another time.

Sincerely wishing the best for you and yours,

Christopher J. Finch Jr.

FireLeague Co-founder and CEO

FireLeague.com offers competitive fantasy football salary cap games and contests with cash prizes.  FireLeague fantasy football games are skill games and not considered gambling, as such they are 100% legal.  For any questions feel free to contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

FireLeague.com is not associated with the National Football League, any NFL team, or any of their partners.