Terms of Service

Effective date: February 11, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to Lockstep. These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the Lockstep platform (the "Service"), operated by an individual based in California, United States ("Lockstep", "we", "us", or "our").

By accessing or using Lockstep, creating an account, or participating in the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use the Service.

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the effective date. Your continued use of the Service after any changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least thirteen (13) years old to access or use the service. By using Lockstep, you represent and warrant that you are at least 13 years old and have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.

If you are under the age of eighteen (18), you represent that you have obtained permission from a parent or legal guardian to use the Service.

You are responsible for ensuring that your use of the Service complies with all applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction.

The Service is not intended for use by children under the age of 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we may suspend or terminate the account and delete the associated information.

3. Description of the Service

Lockstep is an online picks platform that allows users to make predictions on the outcomes of sporting events and earn points based on the accuracy of those predictions. Users may participate in public or private leaderboards and leagues.

Lockstep is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only.

Lockstep does not offer gambling, wagering, or betting services. No real money is involved in the Service. Points earned on the platform have no cash value, are not redeemable for monetary compensation, and do not represent ownership of any financial interest.

4. Account Registration and Security

To access certain features of the Service, you must create an account. When registering, you agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information and to keep your information updated.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree not to share your account with others or allow unauthorized access to your account.

We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from unauthorized access to your account resulting from your failure to safeguard your credentials.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or that we determine, in our sole discretion, pose a risk to the integrity, security, or fairness of the Service.

5. User Conduct

You agree to use the Service in a lawful and respectful manner. You may not use Lockstep to engage in any activity that disrupts, harms, or undermines the integrity of the platform.

Without limitation, you agree that you will not:

Create multiple accounts for the purpose of manipulating leaderboards, evading restrictions, or gaining an unfair advantage.
Use automated scripts, bots, scraping tools, or other unauthorized methods to access or interact with the Service.
Attempt to exploit bugs, scoring errors, or system vulnerabilities.
Interfere with or disrupt the operation, security, or performance of the Service.
Harass, abuse, threaten, or intimidate other users.
Post or use usernames that are unlawful, hateful, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate.
Reverse engineer, copy, or attempt to extract source code or proprietary logic from the Service.
Use the Service in violation of any applicable law or regulation.

We reserve the right to investigate suspected violations and to take appropriate action, including suspension or termination of accounts, removal of content, resetting of scores, or restriction of access.

6. Scoring, Leaderboards, and Platform Decisions

Lockstep uses automated systems to calculate points, rankings, and leaderboard positions based on user activity and third-party sports data.

While we strive to ensure accuracy, scoring, statistics, and rankings may occasionally contain errors due to technical issues, data inaccuracies, third-party data provider interruptions, or system malfunctions.

We reserve the right to:

Correct scoring errors at any time;
Modify scoring formulas, multipliers, boosters, or leaderboard structures;
Adjust or reset scores where necessary to preserve fairness;
Void or disregard picks affected by technical issues or data discrepancies;
Determine final outcomes in the event of ambiguity or system error.

All scoring determinations and leaderboard decisions are made at our sole discretion and are final.

Lockstep is not responsible for inaccuracies or interruptions in third-party data sources used in connection with the Service.

7. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Lockstep makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding the Service. This includes, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, or accuracy.

We do not guarantee that:

The Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free;
Scoring calculations, rankings, statistics, or third-party data will be accurate or complete;
The Service will be available at any particular time or location;
Any defects or errors will be corrected.

Your use of the Service is at your own risk.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Lockstep and its operator shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, including without limitation loss of data, loss of opportunity, loss of reputation, or loss of use, arising out of or relating to your use of, or inability to use, the Service.

Lockstep shall not be liable for:

Errors or inaccuracies in scoring, rankings, or third-party data;
Interruptions, downtime, or delays in availability;
Account suspension or termination;
Loss of points, leaderboard position, or competitive standing;
Unauthorized access to or alteration of your account resulting from your failure to safeguard your credentials.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the total liability of Lockstep for any claims arising out of or relating to the Service shall not exceed the amount you paid to use the Service during the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

Because the Service is provided free of charge, that amount is typically zero.

9. Suspension and Termination

We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to suspend, restrict, or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without notice, if we believe that:

You have violated these Terms;
Your use of the Service poses a risk to the integrity, security, or fairness of the platform;
Your conduct is harmful to other users;
Or for any other reason consistent with protecting the Service and its users.

We may remove or reset scores, disable access to leagues, or delete accounts as part of enforcement actions.

You may stop using the Service at any time and may request account deletion in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

We are not liable for any loss of data, points, rankings, or access resulting from suspension or termination of your account.

10. Intellectual Property

All content, features, functionality, design elements, software, scoring systems, graphics, logos, and branding associated with Lockstep are owned by Lockstep and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works from, reverse engineer, or publicly display any portion of the Service without prior written permission.

You retain ownership of any content you submit to the Service, including your username, profile image, and picks. However, by submitting content to Lockstep, you grant us a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, display, reproduce, and distribute such content solely for the purpose of operating and promoting the Service.

Nothing in these Terms grants you any ownership rights in the Service or its underlying technology.

Certain data displayed on the Service may be owned by third-party providers and is used under license or permission. Users may not extract or redistribute such data.

11. Third-Party Services and Content

The Service relies on third-party providers and services to operate, including authentication services, hosting infrastructure, content delivery networks, analytics tools, and sports data providers.

We do not control and are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, performance, or reliability of any third-party services or content used in connection with the Service.

Interruptions, delays, errors, or inaccuracies caused by third-party providers may affect scoring, rankings, or access to the Service. We are not liable for any loss, damage, or disruption resulting from third-party services or data sources.

Your use of third-party authentication providers (such as Google, Apple, or Discord) may also be subject to their respective terms and policies.

12. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or relating to the Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of law principles.

You agree that any legal action or proceeding arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in California. You consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts and waive any objection to venue in those courts.

13. Changes to These Terms

We may update or modify these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will update the effective date at the top of this document.

Your continued access to or use of the Service after any changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using the Service.

14. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Lockstep regarding your use of the Service and supersede any prior or contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations, or communications, whether written or oral.

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.