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Secrets of a Compliance and Licensing Analyst: What Clients Find Most Surprising About Applying for a Gambling License
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February 11, 2026
Secrets of a Compliance and Licensing Analyst: What Clients Find Most Surprising About Applying for a Gambling License
By: Amanda Holi
Drawing from my experience on the front lines at Ifrah Law—a firm dedicated to the complexities of gaming and gambling-related applications—I’ve observed that even the most prepared clients can be blindsided by the sheer depth of the licensing process. To help you prepare, here are the four most common ‘surprises’ our clients encounter: Suitability is a Deep Dive, Not a Surface Check In the gambling industry, regulators operate on the principle of suitability. This means that holding a license isn’t just about following rules—it’s about proving you have the character, honesty, and integrity to be a trusted part of the ecosystem. Regulators view a license as a privilege rather than a right, meaning the burden of proof rests entirely on…
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Beyond the Approval: 3 Critical Tips for Renewing Your Gambling License
February 3, 2026
Beyond the Approval: 3 Critical Tips for Renewing Your Gambling License
By: Amanda Holi
As a former regulator, I’ve sat on the other side of the desk, reviewing hundreds of applications and watching promising applicants stumble over the same hurdles. Now, as a licensing specialist at a law firm, I help my clients avoid those “regulatory red flags” before they happen. Securing your initial license is a monumental achievement, but maintaining it is where the real work begins. In…
Prediction Markets Raising Predictable Questions of Regulation, Public Policy
January 27, 2026
Prediction Markets Raising Predictable Questions of Regulation, Public Policy
By: John Mikuta
On January 3, 2026, the United States carried out a shocking military strike against Venezuela, resulting in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.[i] Maduro was taken from his home in Caracas and flown to New York, where he faces narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons possession conspiracy charges.[ii] While the strike surprised most of the world, a few traders on Polymarket seemingly anticipated…
Maryland Sports Betting Bill Moving Ahead, Includes Preferences for Minority Owned Operators
January 28, 2022
Maryland Sports Betting Bill Moving Ahead, Includes Preferences for Minority Owned Operators
By: George Calhoun
Sports betting is now legal in Maryland. As part of the 2020 election, Maryland voters approved a Constitutional amendment to allow sports betting. The Maryland legislature is now racing to legalize and regulate sports gambling in the state. On February 2nd, 2021, the Maryland House of Delegates released a sports betting bill that would create a new Sports Wagering Application Commission to evaluate both online…
D.C. Becomes First Place in U.S. to Legalize Online Poker
January 28, 2022
D.C. Becomes First Place in U.S. to Legalize Online Poker
By: Ifrah Law
April 7, 2011 saw a historic moment in igaming as the District of Columbia became the first American jurisdiction to enact a law that allows online poker wagering. The amendment, called the “Lottery Modernization Act of 2010” for the year it was introduced, is part of a larger budget bill passed by the D.C. Council in December 2010 and enacted after passing through Congress unblocked….
Now That Sports Betting Is Legal, Here’s How You Get Paid
January 28, 2022
Now That Sports Betting Is Legal, Here’s How You Get Paid
By: Ifrah Law
Congratulations, you won a sports bet! What happens now? In the five states where sports betting is now legal, any qualifying individual who places and wins a sports bet can exchange their winning ticket for payment. That means any individual who can prove they are over 21 through an in-person check or the latest digital identity verification technology could soon be a winner. But just…
iDEA Growth Members Correctly Optimistic about 2022 in iGaming and Sports Betting Legalization
January 21, 2022
iDEA Growth Members Correctly Optimistic about 2022 in iGaming and Sports Betting Legalization
By: A.J. Collins
In a survey published this week by iDEA Growth, a national trade association for the online sports betting and iGaming industry, over 63 percent of those surveyed believe that between three and five states will legalize sports betting in 2022, with most naming Ohio, Massachusetts, and Kansas as the three states most likely to do so. Industry members also believed that Indiana was the most…
Uses and Abuses of Decentralization in Gambling
December 7, 2021
Uses and Abuses of Decentralization in Gambling
By: Jake Gray
Decentralization has been the selling point of many platforms using blockchain-based technologies including cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Many believe that decentralization by blockchain has the potential to disrupt multiple industries from finance to art. These decentralized equivalents are called ‘dapps.’ And over the past few years there have been several attempts to decentralize and disrupt the gambling industry with these applications. Decentralized applications differ from…
