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Cold Water on Insider Trading Fears: Prediction Markets Miss the 2026 NFL Draft
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April 29, 2026
Cold Water on Insider Trading Fears: Prediction Markets Miss the 2026 NFL Draft
By: John Mikuta
From April 23 to April 25, the National Football League (“NFL”) held its annual player selection draft. Over 800,000 fans gathered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to watch Commissioner Roger Goodell announce the picks live, with millions more watching on TV and other digital platforms.[1] But the NFL Draft is not just a spectator event—both traditional sportsbooks and prediction-market platforms allowed customers to risk money predicting which player would be selected first, how many quarterbacks would be chosen, and when particular players would come off the board.[2] NFL Draft betting took off in 2020, when COVID-19-related shutdowns brought most sports to a grinding halt. Until then, a typical draft garnered only about $1 million in wagers. The 2020 NFL Draft, however, saw…
After Ciminelli: Are the Feds Betting Too Big on Wire Fraud?
April 23, 2026
After Ciminelli: Are the Feds Betting Too Big on Wire Fraud?
By: Abbey Block
Can a technical violation of a website’s terms and conditions constitute a violation of the federal wire fraud statute? A federal court will soon decide just how broadly the statute may sweep, and whether all such forms of potentially dishonest conduct are subject to such stringent criminalization. On Monday, all eyes will be on the District Court for the Eastern District of New York when…
The Cost of Moving Too Fast: Is Your Company Really Ready to Apply for a US Gaming License?
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…
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…
A Positive Result of Legalized Sports Betting is Solution for Betting Corruption and Match Fixing
March 26, 2024
A Positive Result of Legalized Sports Betting is Solution for Betting Corruption and Match Fixing
By: Sara Dalsheim
This month, Sportradar released its “Betting Corruption and Match-Fixing Report” (the “Report”) from the company’s Integrity Services Division[1] The Report covered approximately 850,000 sporting events and matches across 70 sports. Sportradar identified a total of 1,329 suspicious matches in 2023, in 11 sports in 105 countries. This represented a marginal increase over the 1,212 suspicious matches Sportradar detected in 2022. 99.5% of sporting events displayed…
Ifrah Law Interviews David Purdum on Sports Integrity
March 22, 2024
Ifrah Law Interviews David Purdum on Sports Integrity
By: Jake Gray
The stakes have never been higher for sports leagues and athletes to maintain the integrity of their contests. The mere possibility of thrown games, points shaven, or dishonest referee calls turns many bettors into pseudo-detectives, scrutinizing outcomes on behalf of their lost wagers. We interviewed David Purdum, an investigative journalist who writes on the sports betting industry for ESPN, for his thoughts on sports integrity…
Are Lottery Courier Services the Next Big Thing?
March 19, 2024
Are Lottery Courier Services the Next Big Thing?
By: Steven Eichorn
On February 15, 2024, DraftKings announced that it would acquire lottery app Jackpocket (which is a lottery courier services provider- i.e. it enables customers to obtain lottery tickets such as PowerBall and MegaMillions directly from their mobile app) for about $750 million in cash and stock. The company said it would pay about 55% of the consideration in cash and the remainder in common stock….
