Frequently Asked Questions

1. General

What is Daily Joust?

Daily Joust is a fantasy sports web site that lets you pick a fantasy team any time you want and win real money on its performance.  When the game starts you can watch the scoring live to see who is winning.  We currently offer daily contests for MLB baseball.

Is this legal?

Yes. Fantasy Sports is considered a game of skill and received a specific exemption from the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.  Daily Joust is a fantasy sports web site with games lasting only a day or weekend instead of an entire season.  Thanks to fantasy sports being specifically excluded from laws affecting online sports betting, Daily Joust is 100% legal and the company is based in the United States.  We are also members of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA).  Click here see our Legality section for a more detailed answer to this question.

What are daily fantasy sports contests?

Daily fantasy sports contests are like regular season-long fantasy sports except the contest completes in a day.  Users build a team from a set of players who will be playing in that day’s games, the players are awarded points for their performance that day, and the user’s team with the highest points wins the contest and is awarded the corresponding prize.  Each day, users can assemble a new team from scratch and enter into a new set of contests.

Who is eligible to play?

Legal Residents of all 50 United States and Washington DC, excluding Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana and Vermont, are eligible to open an account and participate in contests.  Legal residents of Canada, excluding Quebec, are eligible to open an account and participate in contests.  You must be at least 18 years of age to open an account, participate in contests, or win prizes, and 19 years of age if you are a legal resident of Alabama or Nebraska.

Daily Joust Inc. employees and contractors may use the Web Site for the purpose of testing the user experience, but may not withdraw money or prizes for themselves.  Any prizes won by Daily Joust employees or contractors in these contests will be channeled back to the Daily Joust community as contest prizes or promotional dollars.

How do I sign up to Daily Joust?

To open an account simply click here and register to enjoy broader privileges on the site.  We look forward to welcoming you as a new Jouster.  To start playing the game in full, deposit some money ($10 minimum) through PayPal or a credit card.

How do I deposit money into my account?

Click here or on the ADD FUNDS button.  At this time, Daily Joust accepts deposits through PayPal or credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express.

Is my money safe?

Yes, we accept only major payment options like Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and PayPal.  Daily Joust does not store any credit card or PayPal data.  All financial data including credit card numbers is handled off-site by authorized bank payment processors such as PayPal.   We are also based in the USA rather than off-shore.   

Your account deposit funds are reserved in a dedicated account that is completely separated from the Daily Joust business operations bank accounts.

Please ensure that you don't share your account username and password with anybody else.  

Can I play without an account?

No, you need to set up an account to play, and you must meet our eligibility requirements regarding age and legal residence.  You do not need to to fund your account to play in some contests, and Daily Joust occasionally offers promotions and free entry contests with prizes.

How do I recover lost log-in details?

Go to the Login Page and click on the forgotten password link and we will send log in details to the email account we have on record for that account.

How do I delete my account?

Please contact us.

What is an Affiliate?

Affiliates are websites that help us spread the word about the site and obtain new users.  Daily Joust offers partner web sites the opportunity to receive compensation based on new users, referred by the affiliate partner, who sign up and enter contests on the Daily Joust website.   If you believe you can refer fifty or more users in a month, please contact us at affiliates@dailyjoust.com.

What is a Crusader?

Crusaders are individuals, bloggers or small websites who help us spread the word about the site and obtain new users.  Daily Joust offers Crusaders the opportunity to receive compensation based on new users, referred by the Crusader,  who sign-up and enter contests on the Daily Joust website.   If you believe you can refer ten or more users in a month, please contact us at affiliates@dailyjoust.com.

How do I change my account details?

Click here or go to My Account / My Details to make changes to your password, account details, or notifications settings.  You can also add some account details like a personal motto, that will show up in your user profile when other Jouster’s click on your name.

Can I change my screen name?

No.  Your screen name is a permanent part of your account.  It is how the Daily Joust community becomes familiar with you, and it is used to track and reflect your accomplishments and participation on the site.

If you need to contact us about changing your screen name or you find another user’s screen name to be offensive, please contact us at support@dailyjoust.com.

Is my personal information safe?

Yes, we have a detailed privacy policy.  Click here or visit our Privacy page to review.

Can I have more than one Daily Joust account?

No you cannot.  You may establish only one account per person to participate in the activities offered on the Web Site. In the event Daily Joust discovers that you have opened more than one account per person, in addition to any other rights that Daily Joust may have, Daily Joust reserves the right to suspend or terminate any or all of your accounts and terminate, and withhold or revoke awarded prizes or promotional dollars.

Do I have to pay taxes on my contest winnings?

Users who have won $600 or more (net of all entry fees) in a calendar year will need to provide address and social security details. These details will be used to file a 1099-MISC with the Internal Revenue Service for USA citizens.

What do all the abbreviations stand for?

FPPG stands for the player’s average Fantasy Points Per Game
BB stands for Bonus Bucks when associated with an award, prize, or entry fee
SP stands for Starting Pitcher

How do I earn badges?

Badges are awarded for achievements in Daily Joust contests and for contributions to the Daily Joust community.  They are our way of acknowledging for all that you are a master jouster.

Currently badges are awarded for:

- winning a $9 / $20 / $40 / $100 / $200 / $500 contest
- setting up and filling up a private league
- referring a friend
- best lineup of the day

New badges are being added.  Don’t be surprised if you earn a new badge now and then.  Some badges may also include Bonus Bucks awards that are deposited into your Daily Joust account.  You can suggest new badge awards and images here.

How is Jouster Ability calculated?

Jouster Ability is calculated based on your team’s point performance for a given day and set of games compared to how an average fantasy team would have performed on that given day and set of games, after taking into account real life players’ performances on that day.  Whether you won or lost a particular contest, or the strength of your competition, has no bearing on Jouster Ability.   As you play more contests, your Jouster Ability becomes an average of the various results of contests you entered.  

Why don’t I have a Jouster Ability rating yet?

Jouster Ability ratings are not calculated until you have played five different days’ worth of cash events in a particular sport so as to provide a more representative sample of your performance.  After the fifth day, your rating will be calculated and displayed on your profile. 

2. Contest Rules & Scoring

How much do the contests cost, and what can I win?

There are separate contests, and each contest has its own entry fee and prize pool.  Be sure to check the Entry Fee and Payout information when entering a contest.

What happens if my entry doesn’t get matched or not all spots are filled in my multi-person league?

Each contest has a closing time which is set to just before the first game in the contest begins.  If your team has not been matched to an opponent, or if all the spots are not filled in a league or the minimum number of entrants in a tournament is not reached, the contest will be cancelled and any entry fee will be entirely refunded to your account.  You can set notifications in My Account / My Details to receive an email or SMS notification of contest cancellation.

Who do I play against?

Your team will be entered in a contest against other users adhering to the same rules outlined on the site.  You have many options to determine who you want to play against.  You can create a private Heads Up contest or multi-team league, allow the site to auto-match you with another user, enter a public contest, list your entry publicly and take on challengers, enter a public contest, accept a challenge from another Jouster, challenge an existing Daily Joust user, or challenge any person who is not yet a Daily Joust user.  Clicking on a given user’s username will bring up a profile of that user.

There are also contests that are restricted to users who meet certain qualifications, like a limited number of lifetime wins in the sport (a “Beginner” contest).  Those who don’t qualify will not be offered or allowed entry to these contests.

How can I challenge my friends?

You can challenge your friends in a number of ways.  Click here to Create A New Contest (Heads Up contest against a single friend) or Create A Private League (compete against multiple friends at once) and send emails or messages to your friends, whether or not they are already Daily Joust members.  You will be given a private URL that you can share with friends.  They need to enter before the contest closes.  The contest will cancel if it is not filled before closing.

You can also challenge any Jouster by simply clicking on their name and selecting the Challenge button.  This is a good way to make new friends on Daily Joust.

How do promotion codes work?

Occasionally Daily Joust offers promotions through other web sites.  If you have a code from that promotion, enter it here to qualify.

How does live scoring work?

Our data is the official league feed as provided by STATS Inc. or The Sports Network (NHL).  This is typically updated more than once a minute.  While highly accurate, the real-time contest standings are for informational purposes only.  At the time of contest completion, the standings will be updated with final, official fantasy scores and the prizes will be distributed.

How are scores calculated?

Scores are calculated based on the official league data.

MLB scoring is as follows:

Scoring for hitting (C, 1B/DH, 2B, 3B, SS, OF)

Total Bases (TB) = 1 pt for each base (Single = 1, Double = 2, Triple = 3, Home Run = 4)
Hit (H) = 1 pt
Run Scored (R) = 2 pts
Run Batted In (RBI) = 2 pts
Stolen Base (SB) = 2 pts
Walk (BB) = 1 pt
Hit By Pitch (HBP) = 1 pt
Sacrifice (SAC) = 1 pt
Strike Out (SO) = minus 1 pt
Grounded Into Double Play (GIDP) = minus 1 pt

Scoring for pitching (SP or P)

Inning Pitched (IP) = 1 pt for every out (i.e. 3 pts for each IP)
Strike Out (SO) = 1 pt
Earned Runs (ER) = minus 2 pts
Hit (H) = - minus 1 pt
Walk (BB) = minus 1 pt
Hit Batsman (HBP) = minus 1 pt
Win (W) = 7 pts
   
Pitchers do not receive points for batting, and hitters do not receive points for pitching.

In the case of MLB double headers, where a real-world team plays more than one game in a single day AND both games are included in the contest, batters will only be eligible to receive points for their performance in the FIRST game of the double header.  Starting pitchers (SP) will be eligible to receive points in the first, if any, game they actually make a start.

NCAA College Football (CFB) and NFL scoring:

NCAA College Basketball (CBB) scoring:

1 pt scored = 1 pt

(e.g. Free Throw Made = 1, Field Goal Made = 2, 3 Point Field Goal Made = 3)

Given the lack of available live statistical coverage of regular season college basketball games, points scored is the only statistic we are using.

How do you deal with player scoring revisions?

Our data is the official league feed.  This is being updated typically more than once a minute.  While highly accurate, the real-time contest standings are for informational purposes only.  At the time of contest completion, the standings will be updated with final, official fantasy scores and the prizes will be distributed.

Typically the final stats are delivered within an hour of the specific game’s completion.  Once Daily Joust designates these as the final official game stats, the contest will be finalized, notifications will be sent, and any subsequent modifications to official stats (e.g. a hit changed to an error) will not be considered.

What happens if I pick the same players as opposing contestants?

The player’s point totals will count for both of you.

What happens if any of the games are postponed or cancelled?

Players will score points based on their performance in the game that occurs on the date of the contest they are registered for.  If a real-world game is cancelled or not played for any reason, they will receive zero points for that game.  If a real-world game is postponed or suspended and subsequently resumed more than 12 hours later, any statistics accumulated after the resumption will not count toward the player’s point total for the contest.  In the event of an in-game suspension where player statistics are official and will be counted towards their season totals, and an official box score is delivered via our feed prior to two hours after the last game in that contest end, the fantasy scoring based on the official statistics will be counted.  Once official scores have been posted and the contest is listed as finished, completed, or past, then any further official scoring changes will not affect the scores or prizes of any Daily Joust contest.  It is the user’s responsibility to be aware of possible postponements or cancellations and adjust their fantasy teams as required prior to the start of the contest.

How are doubleheaders handled?

In the case of MLB double headers, where a real-world team plays more than one game in a single day AND both games are included in the contest, batters will only be eligible to receive points for their performance in the FIRST game of the double header.  Starting pitchers (SP) will be eligible to receive points in the first, if any, game they actually make a start.

Are all contests daily?

No, we offer daily, multi-day and season long contests.    

Do you offer free entry contests?

Yes, you can enter free contests that are offered on the Open Contests page or Create A Contest with no entry fee or prize.  Daily Joust also periodically offers free entry contests with Bonus Bucks or cash as prizes.

Where can I see my previous contests?

Click here or go to My Account and click on the Completed tab to see an index and summary of all completed contests.  You can also scroll down the screen to see the section entitled Past Games which lists all of the previous contests you entered, and you can click on any specific contest you want to review.  

Where can I see my current contests?

Click here or go to My Account.  There are three categories of current contests --- Live, Upcoming, and Pending.  You can edit your Upcoming and Pending teams.  Pending contests are those that still have an insufficient number of entrants and will be cancelled unless the minimum number entrants sign up.   

Can I edit a team I’ve already entered?

Yes, you can continue to edit your team on the Build A Team page up until the contest closing time, at which time your team is locked.

What if I don’t build and enter my team in time?

You will not be considered as entered in the contest, and no entry fee will be charged.  

Do I have to select a complete fantasy team?

Yes, you cannot enter a partial team.  Each slot must be filled, and you must allocate your salary dollars across all team slots.

Can I unregister for a contest?

No, once you register for a contest by entering a valid team you cannot unregister.  If the contest does not fill and is cancelled you will receive an immediate refund of your entry fee deposited back into your account.

What happens if the player I select doesn’t play?

If a player that you have selected does not play in a game, you will receive no points for that player.  If the game is cancelled, rained out, etc. past the final time and date of the contest, you will receive no points for that player.  If a game is is partially completed before being postponed or cancelled, you will receive points for players if the player stats are considered official by the appropriate real life league (e.g. MLB in the case of MLB baseball contests).

How are player salaries determined?

Player salaries are determined separately with an algorithm each day and for each game set.  Once a contest is offered, the salaries and players are locked for all current and future entrants.  Player salaries take a number of factors into account, including past and current season performance, recent performance, opponent match-ups, ballpark effects, projected opportunities, and player position.  Different algorithms may be used on different days.  The objective of player salaries is to promote diverse player picks and create interesting choices among players.

How is the salary cap determined?

The salary cap is fixed at $1,000,000, unless otherwise noted.  All users have the same player salaries and salary cap in a given contest.

How long do I have to build my team?

You can build and edit your team up until the contest closing time, typically a few minutes before the first actual game of the contests starts.  But note that if you have reserved a place in a contest, you have a limited amount of time (typically 5 minutes) to build and enter your team, or the empty contest slot may be filled by another Jouster.  The “Spot Reserved For” timer will indicate when your slot will re-open for others.  The “Game Start In” timer indicates when the contest will lock and no further roster changes or additions are allowed.

You can also load in your recent previously built teams by clicking on “My Teams” button on the Build A Team page.

How can I see the other teams in my contest?

You can see the other Jousters in a given contest prior to the start of the contest, but you cannot see which players they have selected.  The opposing roster(s) of players are revealed once the contest starts and all teams are locked.  Daily Joust will send you a notification (go to My Account / My Details for Notifications settings) when a contest starts and a list of your opponents.  In Heads Up matches the notification will also include the opposing roster.

To watch live scoring, go to My Account and select the contest in the Live Contests section that you want to follow.

What information can other contestants see about me, and vice versa?

Contestants can see your User Profile by clicking on your name.  This includes your user name (but not real name), age, city, member since and last active date, badges awarded, winnings, wins, streak, and Jouster ability rating.  Only you can view (and edit) other information provided upon registration or in My Account / My Details.

Why are there minimum and maximum numbers of contestants in certain contests?

By law, the entry fee must be fixed beforehand.  If there are an insufficient number of entrants to reach the minimum number of entrants for that contest, the  contest will be cancelled.

Heads Up contests always require two entrants.  If there are less, the contest will be cancelled.

Some contests, including solo contests, heads up contests, and league contests, have a maximum number of entrants to fix the prize pool to entry fee ratio.

Why am I not permitted to enter some contests?

There are a number of reasons why you may not be able to enter certain contests.  Among them:

1. you are trying to enter an ineligible team
2. you are already entered into the contest, and it is a single entry contest
3. you have insufficient funds to cover the entry fee
4. you do not qualify for entry, for instance based on your winnings, badges, etc.
5. the contest has been filled by another Jouster before you entered your team
6. the contest start time has passed and the contest is now live

What happens when a contest is dissolved?

A notification will be sent when the contest time closes indicating that the contest was unable to achieve a sufficient number of entrants, is therefore cancelled, and all entry fees will immediately be re-credited to entrants’ accounts.

Can I have multiple entries in the same contest?

Heads Up and League contests do not typically allow multiple entries by the same user.  Some tournaments do.  See the contest Info, Payout, & Scoring to see if multiple entries by the same user are expressly allowed.

If multiple entries by the same user are NOT allowed, you will receive an error message when you try to enter a second team in the contest.

Can I play the same team in different contests?

Yes, you may enter the same team in as many contests as you would like.

What happens if two or more fantasy teams are tied?

In the event of a tie between two or more teams for a prize position at the end of a contest, the following tie-breaker rules are used to determine the prize disbursement.

As part of a specific multi-user contest’s entry, Daily Joust may require the user to answer a tie-breaker question (e.g. How many points will my fantasy team score?).  If the question is asked, in the event of a tie for prize positions, the tied user whose answer is closest to the actual correct answer wins the higher prize position.

In Solo contests there is no tie-breaker, the user either achieves the target or not.

In Heads Up contests, the following algorithm governs how and whether a tie can be broken:

1. highest individual player score, next highest, etc down to the last player
2. if above doesn’t break tie, it is a tie and users split the prize

In League and Tournament contests, the following algorithm governs how and whether a tie can be broken:

1. if a tie breaker question was asked, the lowest difference between actual correct answer and user’s prediction
2. for remaining tied users, highest individual player score, next highest, etc down to the last player
3. if above doesn’t break tie, it is a tie and users split the prize

How do I modify or terminate the notifications I receive?

Click here or go to My Account / My Details page to adjust the notifications you receive.

How do I create a private league?

Click here or go to the Contests page and click on the Create A Private League button.  You will define a name for the private league which becomes part of a private URL that you can share with specific friends or with the public audience of Daily Joust users or with prospective new Daily Joust users.   You can post the URL in the Daily Joust chat box, or post the URL in any other private or public web-page where it is legally accepted to invite friends to join your league.  All participants in a private league need to properly enter before the contest closes.  The contest will cancel if it is not filled before closing.  Copy and paste the URL into live chat if you need help in filling out your league at the last minute.

What happens if my private league doesn’t fill before closing time?

It will be cancelled and all entry fees will be redeposited into their originating accounts.  You can post your private league URL publicly in the Daily Joust chat box if you wish to accept any Daily Joust users to fill your private league.

How do I find a specific league?

Look in the list of Open Contests on the Contests page.  If the league is not listed, you need to obtain the URL from the user who set up the league.

What is an “ineligible” team?

The UIGEA law sets forth the criteria for eligible teams.  A user’s assembled fantasy team is ineligible for entry in a Daily Joust contest if it contains all players from a single team or game.  In addition, a user’s assembled fantasy team is ineligible for entry in a Daily Joust contest if the total player salaries are higher than the salary cap or the team does not include a player at each position slot.  In all cases the Daily Joust Build A Team page is designed to warn the user and deny entry of an ineligible team.

What is a “Heads Up” contest?

A heads up contest is between two users, both of whom build a team to achieve the highest number of points to win the winner-take-all prize.   You can accept a challenge from another user, you can privately challenge your friend(s), or you can publicly post your challenge to any other Daily Joust user.     

What is a “Solo” contest?

A solo contest is a contest where you are the only entrant, building a team to achieve a pre-set target number of points to win a prize.  You can play solo contests without worrying about another user’s player performances or ability level.  And any players you choose will be uniquely your own in the contest.

Daily Joust offers solo contests from time-to-time and to select users.  Check the Open Contests section to see if one is being offered to you at the moment.  A limited number of solo contests may be offered, so it is possible that these may fill before the contest closing time.

3. Deposits & Withdrawals

Funding Accounts

Accounts may be funded using the deposit methods available like major credit cards or PayPal.  There is a $10 minimum and $1500 maximum in a 24 hour period of time.  Additionally, no more than $5000 may be deposited in any 7 day period to a user’s account.  If you would like your deposit limits increased please contact support@dailyjoust.com.  For security reasons the user’s name, address and email address on the account must match the information supplied by the user’s financial institution.

Bonus Money

Daily Joust offers a virtual currency called Bonus Bucks.  Bonus Bucks are awarded for various site activities, promotions and accomplishments.  Bonus Bucks cannot be withdrawn but may be used in lieu of cash to cover a contest entry fee, and hence turned into cash via prize winnings.  Bonus Bucks can also be transferred between user accounts.

Withdrawal of Funds

Cash can be withdrawn from a Daily Joust account balance at any time.  Just click on the Withdraw Funds link on the My Account page and enter the amount you wish to withdraw.  Valid withdrawal requests will be immediately debited from the users account.  An email confirmation of the withdrawal will be sent as soon as the request is received.  We will transfer the money to you via your PayPal account the next business day.    One free withdrawal from a Daily Joust account may be made every seven days.  After the first free withdrawal, Daily Joust will charge a $10 fee for each subsequent withdrawal in the same seven day period.  The minimum withdrawal amount is $25 unless the withdrawal is for the entire balance of the account.

Daily Joust reserves the right to withhold funds up to 90 days to investigate an account if it has reason to suspect the account of fraudulent activity.