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The Cost of Moving Too Fast: Is Your Company Really Ready to Apply for a US Gaming License?
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April 21, 2026
The Cost of Moving Too Fast: Is Your Company Really Ready to Apply for a US Gaming License?
By: Amanda Holi
The allure of the US gaming and gambling market is undeniable. As more states legalize sports betting and online gaming, it seems full of possibilities. But as someone who navigates these regulatory waters daily, I often have to ask new clients a tough question: Is your company actually prepared to apply for a US gaming license? Entering the US isn’t just about having a great product; it’s about surviving a rigorous, intrusive, and often exhausting bureaucratic marathon. If you’re thinking about expanding to or applying in the US, here’s a quick check to see if you’re really ready to start your first application. 1. The Operator Agreement: Solving the Chicken-and-Egg Dilemma One of the most significant challenges to starting is…
George Calhoun on Keeping iGaming Companies Competitive and Thriving
April 21, 2026
George Calhoun on Keeping iGaming Companies Competitive and Thriving
By: Ifrah Law
Chambers-ranked litigator George Calhoun acts as a strategic guide for Ifrah Law’s iGaming clients who face difficult business challenges. When iGaming operators are trapped in unfavorable legacy agreements or scrambling after their business partners suddenly bail out, George provides the strategic counsel they need in an industry defined by rapid expansion, complex agreements, and high commercial stakes. George draws on his extensive bankruptcy and restructuring…
Peering into the Future: Kids, Games, and Regulation
April 10, 2026
Peering into the Future: Kids, Games, and Regulation
By: Steven Hess
This March, a California jury found Google and Meta (which operates Facebook, Instagram, and other websites) liable for negligently causing a child user’s depression and anxiety. Driven by a desire to protect children from perceived vices,[1] this is likely to be the first in a wave of new lawsuits and legislation aimed at regulating online spaces. Although limited to protecting children for now, these efforts…
Ad-Tech Europe: The Moving Target Marking Targeted Advertising
April 26, 2024
Ad-Tech Europe: The Moving Target Marking Targeted Advertising
By: Nicole Kardell
The European Data Protection Board (“EDPB”) recently published an opinion on the legality of pay-or-consent models for online platforms offering services in Europe. While the opinion is non-binding and limited to “large online platforms[1],” companies that offer platforms large and small in Europe should pay attention to the EDPB’s analysis—it will inform their future guidance for entities large and small. The upshot: Pay-or-consent models [for…
CFPB Banking in Video Games and Virtual Worlds
April 25, 2024
CFPB Banking in Video Games and Virtual Worlds
By: Jordan Briggs
Converting your dollar to donuts,[1] or whatever in-game currency you choose, has never been easier. As microtransactions online become easier to execute and more prevalent, the in-game economies start to resemble traditional banking—minus the standard banking protections. This issue is not lost on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Earlier this month, the CFPB released an Issue Spotlight on “Banking in video games and virtual…
Ohtani-Mizuhara Scandal: A Case for Regulated Sports Betting, Not Against It
April 11, 2024
Ohtani-Mizuhara Scandal: A Case for Regulated Sports Betting, Not Against It
By: Jake Gray
Shohei Ohtani finds himself at the center of a sports betting scandal and regulated sports betting naysayers have taken the opportunity to toot their own horns. The opening line of this LA Times article, by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael Hiltzik, states: “Question for Major League Baseball: How do you like your sports betting partnerships now?” His implication is that the MLB’s embrace of sports betting…
Pennsylvania’s Aggressive and Conflicting Approach to Skill Gaming and Versus the House Fantasy Sports Operators
April 5, 2024
Pennsylvania’s Aggressive and Conflicting Approach to Skill Gaming and Versus the House Fantasy Sports Operators
By: Steven Eichorn
The early part of 2024 has proven to be unexpectedly eventful in Pennsylvania in regards to sports betting, fantasy contests, and skill games. There is always an interesting dynamic- and sometimes tension- in regards to the different regulatory regimes and which one applies to a specific platform. For example, who takes ownership over a game that offers NFL themed lottery tickets? What regulation applies to…
Say it Ain’t So, Oh!
April 3, 2024
Say it Ain’t So, Oh!
By: James Trusty
The Shohei Ohtani betting scandal has receded from view for the moment, but its brief surfacing last week provided fundamental guidance on how not to manage a crisis faced by a professional athlete, while also giving rise to some serious issues for Major League Baseball (“MLB”) to address in the near future. Lawyers and publicists in the niche world of crisis management unofficially swear a…
