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CFTC Sends Message to Prediction Markets: You Are Not a Sportsbook
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August 11, 2026
CFTC Sends Message to Prediction Markets: You Are Not a Sportsbook
By: John Mikuta
In recent guidance, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) has made clear that event contracts offered by regulated prediction-market entities must not be marketed in a format commonly used by casino gambling bookmakers. The CFTC’s Division of Market Oversight and Market Participants Division issued a notice to all CFTC-regulated entities and affiliates regarding their obligations to refrain from engaging in misleading or deceptive practices when advertising, listing, or transacting event contracts. The notice highlights the CFTC’s growing concerns about the promotion of event contracts using the “American odds” format associated with sports betting and casino operators rather than nominal or percentage terms that reflect market pricing. The notice stresses that this practice could create confusion about the nature of the…
Nicole Kardell on Keeping iGaming Clients Nimble Amidst Ever-Evolving Privacy Regulations
August 3, 2026
Nicole Kardell on Keeping iGaming Clients Nimble Amidst Ever-Evolving Privacy Regulations
By: Ifrah Law
For iGaming companies, protecting customer privacy is paramount: Nicole Kardell acts as their guardian against federal, state and civil actions that could damage their reputations and profitability. Nicole performs on the leading edge of privacy law, helping to keep Ifrah’s clients in compliance with U.S. and international regulations governing the handling of customers’ confidential information. A certified privacy professional with expertise in European privacy law…
Betting on Technology: Bipartisan Proposal for Requiring Facial Recognition to Keep Minors from Wagering Online
July 29, 2026
Betting on Technology: Bipartisan Proposal for Requiring Facial Recognition to Keep Minors from Wagering Online
By: Lauren Scribner
“As every parent knows, when you tell a kid not to do something, they almost always end up trying to do it,” said Congresswoman Kristen MacDonald Rivet (MI-8) about the recently introduced bipartisan “Facial Recognition to Protect Children Act” (“proposed Act”).[1] She continued, “[k]ids under the age of 18 shouldn’t be making bets, but now it’s just a few taps away on their phones. Our…
Massachusetts Gaming Commission Signals Intent to Regulate Sports Wagering Limits and Invites Operators to Join the Conversation
August 2, 2024
Massachusetts Gaming Commission Signals Intent to Regulate Sports Wagering Limits and Invites Operators to Join the Conversation
By: Abbey Block
At a public meeting held on August 1st, members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (the “Commission”) voiced their frustration with sports betting operators’ unwillingness to publicly discuss their position on the issue of bettor and wager limits. Although the Commission has yet to propose any rules that would limit the operators’ ability to impose wager limits on certain bettors, it has indicated its interest in…
Protection or Censorship? – New Child Protection Law Sparks First Amendment Debate
July 31, 2024
Protection or Censorship? – New Child Protection Law Sparks First Amendment Debate
By: Abbey Block
As this congressional session draws to a close, legislators are debating a new bill aimed at protecting kids and teens from the dangers of the Internet and social media. If enacted, the bill known as the Kids’ Online Safety Act (“KOSA”), would impose a “duty of care” on online platforms, requiring them to take affirmative steps to mitigate harm to their users who are under…
Google Now Allows Daily Fantasy Sports Advertisements in Limited States
July 18, 2024
Google Now Allows Daily Fantasy Sports Advertisements in Limited States
By: Jordan Briggs
On July 15, 2024, Google Ads updated its Gambling and games policy (the “Policy”)[1] to allow Daily Fantasy Sports (“DFS”) and lottery couriers to advertise in certain US states. Advertisers for DFS or lottery couriers must be licensed by at least one state and certified with Google prior to running these ads. Even after these steps, DFS advertisers may only advertise in seventeen states. The…
Six Ways to Delay a Supplier’s Licensure to Service Gaming Operators
July 5, 2024
Six Ways to Delay a Supplier’s Licensure to Service Gaming Operators
By: Jeffrey Hamlin
Ifrah Law specializes in matters related to sports betting and gaming, so it is no surprise that we have helped many businesses apply for and obtain the credentials they need to service the gaming industry. Because gambling is generally a matter of state law, entities that want to participate in that industry must go through the licensure process in every state in which they want…
Ontario Lottery Survives Legal Challenge by the Mohawk Council of the Kahnawà:ke
May 20, 2024
Ontario Lottery Survives Legal Challenge by the Mohawk Council of the Kahnawà:ke
By: Jeffrey Hamlin
The Ontario Superior Court handed a clean victory to Ontario’s internet gaming (“iGaming”) regulator and Attorney General last Monday, when it declared that Ontario’s regime for online gaming comports with Canada’s Constitution and Criminal Code. The much-anticipated decision disposed of a lawsuit that the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (the “Council”) filed in November 2022, alleging that (i) Canadian law prohibits lottery schemes (to include sports…
