Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:
quote:Originally posted by FPA - Scott Atkins:
I'm not giving the FSTA a pass on anything. They've kept quiet for way too long on all previous issues to be a respected source for the players. They're industry driven plain and simple and no new panel will ever change that. Scott, the FSTA definitely has the best chance to make a positive impact for consumers because more than 100 companies are part of that association. If the FSTA can somehow set guidelines that all pay-to-play game operators have to follow then maybe we won't have these discussions again. The rollover prize payout should be included in those guidelines and discussions, too. I don't think the FSTA can mandate anything or even police this space, but it's definitely time that all of the major companies in the FSTA address this serious problem and find a solution. I've been asked to put some guidelines together for the FSTA and honestly I'm not sure there's anything a trade association can do to make this completely right. But I will start with some guidelines and go from there.
Again, all of the major fantasy companies are part of this association. It has to start with the business leaders and having them change the current environment. It's time for all game operators to get on the same page with securing prize money, paying out winners and regulating themselves. We don't want government intervention if we can solve this ourselves.
Do they get a pass right now? No. Again, we started as the Fantasy Sports Players Association and I agreed that we needed to change to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association in 2003 because we had advanced beyond just protecting the players. We were definitely an industry trade association at that time, working with and against the leagues and players associations on action items like licensing and lobbying. We felt we had solved many of the players' issues.
Now we're back to Square One and I think the FSTA at the very least needs to add a consumers' committee to constantly address these issues and release news items about payment issues. It has to become an advocacy group for the players. The FPA can be that too, but to be taken very seriously it needs the power to make companies change how they run their businesses. And I'm not sure how that's done by just the players. [/QUOTE]The theme of the FPA is Power to the Players and I believe it to my very core that it is the only solution to the problems at hand. The FPA or FSTA is powerless to hold contests accountable, however the customers are not.
The players are the solution.
At the FPA, the players will give all veteran and new players coming in (most important) transparency in a fun, (non boring , trade association) kind of way. I guess we'll just have to disagree on the FSTA for several reasons ever doing this, as I've been to the FSTA website and no new player jumping into satellite leagues at $50 and $60 levels from their local hometown leagues are going to find anything remotely interesting about the FSTA or want to go there to decide where to spend their fantasy dollars. Now, to defend the FPA for a moment, if they had a home where they learned from veteran players, had a trusted board of directors made up of entirely non industry fantasy players and could read player and site reviews about said contests, could build their player profile, and vent or complain when needed, that is the forum they need. The power lies ONLY in the players, they are the consumers.
The FSTA has their own special interest, and that's in the $600 per year or whatever fee they charge to join. The FPA will never take an industry dollar for membership, unless that $ is to give the players an opportunity to review their offering.
Check out our new site design on our facebook page and tell me what you think. Pay no attention to the ugly mug in the center.
https://www.facebook.com/FantasyPA
[ June 10, 2011, 11:51 AM: Message edited by: FPA - Scott Atkins ]
