Insights < BACK TO ALL INSIGHTS
CFTC Sends Message to Prediction Markets: You Are Not a Sportsbook
FEATURED
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…
For Payment Processors: A Compliance Plan That Even Banks and Credit-Card Networks Will Love
July 24, 2020
For Payment Processors: A Compliance Plan That Even Banks and Credit-Card Networks Will Love
By: Jeffrey Hamlin
A little more than two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, striking down federal limits on the expansion of sports betting. Since then, a number of states have legalized sports betting—Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia, to name a few. Indeed, many states now permit sports betting at brick-and-mortar establishments as…
Betting Operators Look at In-House Options for Customer Leads
July 23, 2020
Betting Operators Look at In-House Options for Customer Leads
By: Steven Eichorn
Cold-pitch sales are a difficult proposition, especially when done over the Internet. The challenge is greater when competing products are similar and the barriers to entry are low, making it harder for a company to differentiate itself from the competition. So goes the case for online gaming operators who often face difficulty in attracting new users to their platform, especially when there are registration requirements…
Despite Pandemic, New Sports Gambling And Online Gaming Market Entries Proliferate
July 20, 2020
Despite Pandemic, New Sports Gambling And Online Gaming Market Entries Proliferate
By: Ifrah Law
If someone had told you at the beginning of 2020 that, by March, global sports would largely shut down, with a slow resumption not happening until the summer of 2020, you may have predicted that 2020 would be a bad year for businesses involved in sports wagering, fantasy sports, and iGaming. Yet, the rapid legalization of sports wagering across the United States has not relented,…
Virginia announces Rules and Timelines for Legalized Sports Betting.
July 15, 2020
Virginia announces Rules and Timelines for Legalized Sports Betting.
By: Ifrah Law
Today is the day that many have been eagerly awaiting; the day the Virginia Lottery’s Board discussed the state’s draft sports betting regulations. People are already comparing the draft rules to those of other states, particularly Tennessee, and Virginia appears to compare favorably. Below, we examine some of the highlights of those regulations. During the presentation, Board Chairman Ferhan Hamid asked a significant question to…
Legal Sports Betting Still Faces Competition From Illegal Market; Low State Taxes Could Turn The Tide
April 27, 2020
Legal Sports Betting Still Faces Competition From Illegal Market; Low State Taxes Could Turn The Tide
By: Ifrah Law
The following blog was first published by Forbes.com earlier this month, available here. Even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, states are moving quickly to legalize sports wagering. Indeed, just last month, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed sports betting into law in that state, in addition to the Virginia state legislature passing a bill. It is not surprising that even amidst the pandemic, states are still considering…
