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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…
A Comeback Victory: Appeals Court Says Monmouth Park Owner is Entitled to Recover Damages from NCAA and Sports Leagues
September 24, 2019
A Comeback Victory: Appeals Court Says Monmouth Park Owner is Entitled to Recover Damages from NCAA and Sports Leagues
By: Ifrah Law
It has been over a year since the Supreme Court found that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was unconstitutional in Murphy v. NCAA, and countless states have legalized sports gambling in the time since, but the legal fallout from the Murphy case is still weaving its way from the courts. Early in the Murphy case, when the sports leagues and NCAA requested…
North Carolina on the Verge of Legal Sports Betting
July 29, 2019
North Carolina on the Verge of Legal Sports Betting
By: George Calhoun
In April, I spoke to the North Carolina Bar Association concerning the future of sports betting in the state. At the time, a bill to legalize sports betting was making its way through the legislative process. Last week, the North Carolina legislature finally passed a bill authorizing sports wagering at the state’s two Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian casinos. The bill explicitly adds sports betting…
New Hampshire Federal Court Finds Wire Act Is Limited to Gambling on Sporting Events
June 4, 2019
New Hampshire Federal Court Finds Wire Act Is Limited to Gambling on Sporting Events
By: Ifrah Law
On June 3, 2019, Judge Paul Barbadoro of the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire issued a 60-page opinion holding that the Wire Act is limited to sports gambling. Judge Barbadoro’s opinion resolved litigation between the New Hampshire Lottery Commission, its service provider (NeoPollard), and the Department of Justice (DOJ), over a 2018 opinion by the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel…
Coming to a Theater (Device) Near You: Legalized Sports Betting and Enhanced Player Data Team Up to Save Professional Sports
May 10, 2019
Coming to a Theater (Device) Near You: Legalized Sports Betting and Enhanced Player Data Team Up to Save Professional Sports
By: Nicole Kardell
Professional sports as an industry has a money problem. Game attendance across sports has been on the decline in recent years. Viewership has been on a downward trajectory as has traditional advertising. But two superheroes have appeared on the horizon to help turn things around. And if they team up, Avengers-style, they could benefit all stakeholders in the sports industry: from leagues to teams to…
DOJ High-Wire Act
April 29, 2019
DOJ High-Wire Act
By: James Trusty
Heavyweight parties are slugging it out in a lawsuit in the Granite State, and Ifrah Law is taking a lead role in protecting the interests of America’s rapidly growing online gaming industry. The New Hampshire civil case comes on the heels of the Department of Justice (DOJ) releasing an interpretation of the federal Wire Act that threatens to bring within its scope all gambling activity,…
