CFTC Sends Message to Prediction Markets: You Are Not a Sportsbook

CFTC Sends Message to Prediction Markets: You Are Not a Sportsbook

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…

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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…

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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…

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Ifrah Law: 10 Years in the Online Gaming and Sports Betting Industry

October 17, 2019

Ifrah Law: 10 Years in the Online Gaming and Sports Betting Industry

By: Ifrah Law

As Ifrah Law celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, we are pleased with the recent legal breakthroughs that have the potential to bring online interactive gaming into the U.S. mainstream, where it can create jobs and offer a secure, exciting experience for adults nationwide. For our firm’s founder, Jeff Ifrah, a passion for advancing online gaming was kindled in 1999, when as a member of…

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Ifrah Law’s “The Definitive Guide to Online Gaming and Betting in the U.S.” is Available for Download

October 8, 2019

Ifrah Law’s “The Definitive Guide to Online Gaming and Betting in the U.S.” is Available for Download

By: Jeff Ifrah

Complimentary eBook offers a comprehensive overview of the rapidly evolving U.S. online gaming and betting industry. “The Definitive Guide to Online Gaming and Betting in the U.S.” is now available – at no cost – as a downloadable eBook from Ifrah Law, which has been forging the legal framework for the online gaming industry for more than a decade. This concise but comprehensive Guide brings…

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Will Legalized Sports Betting Save NFL Television?

September 27, 2019

Will Legalized Sports Betting Save NFL Television?

By: Jeffrey Hamlin

The growth of proposition and in-play sports betting may be just what the NFL needs to sustain a revived interest in televised games. From 2016 to 2018, the NFL experienced a two-year ratings slump when viewership decreased by 17%. Theories abound as to why ratings fell. Some point out that traditional television viewership was (and is) down generally due to younger viewers who are ditching…

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What About Gaming? The House Passes the SAFE Banking Act, Putting Cannabis Ahead of Regulated Gambling

September 26, 2019

What About Gaming? The House Passes the SAFE Banking Act, Putting Cannabis Ahead of Regulated Gambling

By: Ifrah Law

The inability to secure banking services has created enormous difficulties for state level, legal cannabis industries.  Eleven states and the District of Columbia have legalized the recreational use of marijuana, and a majority of states also have legal medical marijuana programs. Nonetheless, “marihuana” remains a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act and its sale or possession can be a federal crime.  As a…

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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…

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Articles and Presentations by Our Firm Attorneys

CFTC Sends Message to Prediction Markets: You Are Not a Sportsbook

CFTC Sends Message to Prediction Markets: You Are Not a Sportsbook
By: John Mikuta

Nicole Kardell on Keeping iGaming Clients Nimble Amidst Ever-Evolving Privacy Regulations 

Nicole Kardell on Keeping iGaming Clients Nimble Amidst Ever-Evolving Privacy Regulations 
By: Ifrah Law

Betting on Technology: Bipartisan Proposal for Requiring Facial Recognition to Keep Minors from Wagering Online

Betting on Technology: Bipartisan Proposal for Requiring Facial Recognition to Keep Minors from Wagering Online
By: Lauren Scribner

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