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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…
iGaming Company Takes on State Licensing Commission’s Rejection – Achieves Rare Victory
November 20, 2023
iGaming Company Takes on State Licensing Commission’s Rejection – Achieves Rare Victory
By: Jeff Ifrah
Ifrah Law’s litigation experience and broad knowledge of gaming licensing laws and procedures rescued a client from an unfair application denial, which would have frozen the company out of a major state’s market and tarnished the CEO’s reputation among licensing boards in other states. A successful iGaming company had nearly completed the rigorous registration process required to operate in one of the most populous states…
Maryland Report Supports iGaming Expansion – Should More States Start to Consider Legalization?
November 17, 2023
Maryland Report Supports iGaming Expansion – Should More States Start to Consider Legalization?
By: Sara Dalsheim
In its effort to legalize online slot machines, table games, and poker (“iGaming”), the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (“MLGCA”) hired the Innovation Group to create a wide-ranging report that would analyze the projected Maryland market, provide legislative and rule recommendations, and summarize both best practices and pitfalls to avoid in launching iGaming in Maryland (“Report”). The Report, released on November 15, 2023, reviewed…
DraftKings Should Prevail in NFT-Securities Litigation
October 13, 2023
DraftKings Should Prevail in NFT-Securities Litigation
By: Jake Gray
In February 2022, we wrote about the extent to which NFTs could raise novel securities laws questions, invoking the case of Friel v. Dapper Labs and utility-based NFT offerings conjoined to ownership-based privileges associated with securities. A year later, in February 2023, a judge from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York denied Dapper Labs’s motion to dismiss, holding that the…
Surging Sportsbook Signups Illustrate Need for Ubiquitous Legal Gaming Markets
September 29, 2023
Surging Sportsbook Signups Illustrate Need for Ubiquitous Legal Gaming Markets
By: Sara Dalsheim
The kickoff of the NFL 2023-2024 season has held many surprises: drastically favored teams lost to their underdog opponents; surprise rookies broke out like Bijan Robinson and Puka Nacua; sports media outlets aggressively reported on the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce courtship; and much more. What has not been surprising, however, is the surge of signups on legal sports betting websites. Indeed, the influx of new users…
A Cautionary Tale Courtesy of Fortnite
September 21, 2023
A Cautionary Tale Courtesy of Fortnite
By: Steven Eichorn
A fast-growing segment of online gaming is the in-game purchase on (sometimes free) games/apps in exchange for virtual items. The virtual items can be mere cosmetic game enhancements, features that increase a player’s likelihood of success, and many other options. Because these virtual items are purchased with real world funds, companies must be vigilant in employing good practices such as clear and conspicuous disclosures of…
