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…
Why We Won’t See A Federal Sports Betting Bill Soon
July 30, 2018
Why We Won’t See A Federal Sports Betting Bill Soon
By: Ifrah Law
Following the Supreme Court decision to overturn The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in Murphy v. NCAA, in June Delaware became the first state to take advantage of the new ruling. Delaware governor John Carney placed the state’s first legal single-game bet: $10 on the Philadelphia Phillies in their game against the Chicago Cubs, and within 24 hours, Delaware drew more than $322,000…
Industry Experts Agree: Online and Mobile Wagering is Critical to the Success of Sports Betting
July 25, 2018
Industry Experts Agree: Online and Mobile Wagering is Critical to the Success of Sports Betting
By: Ifrah Law
The recent University of Nevada Las Vegas Institute on Gaming Regulation’s Understanding Sports Betting seminar included presentations by professors from UNLV, practicing attorneys in the field, sports book operators, and regulators from the Nevada Gaming Control Board, who provided a wide range of viewpoints on the ins-and-outs of sports betting regulation. The one topic on which all presenters and attendees agreed was the importance of…
Effective Sports Betting Regulation Must Cover Mobile and Online Betting, Too.
June 4, 2018
Effective Sports Betting Regulation Must Cover Mobile and Online Betting, Too.
By: Ifrah Law
On May 14, 2018, the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (“PASPA”), clearing the way for states to legalize sports gambling. In its wake, many states are now rushing to do just that. Currently fourteen states have legislation pending that would authorize some degree of sports wagering. An additional five states already have passed laws (New Jersey, West Virginia, Pennsylvania,…
Ifrah Law Article on SCOTUS Sports Betting Decision in George Washington Law Review
May 30, 2018
Ifrah Law Article on SCOTUS Sports Betting Decision in George Washington Law Review
By: Jeff Ifrah
In their recent article published in the George Washington Law Review, firm founder Jeff Ifrah and associate David Yellin describe the three immediate effects of the groundbreaking Supreme Court decision in Murphy v. NCAA: “this ruling immediately legalizes sports betting in New Jersey, opens up a logjam that states, casinos, and foreign sportsbooks have been hoping to break for years, and will likely lead to a…
The Perverse Impact of Indiana’s Proposed “Integrity Fee” in Sports Gaming
January 10, 2018
The Perverse Impact of Indiana’s Proposed “Integrity Fee” in Sports Gaming
By: Ifrah Law
Anticipating a positive ruling from the Supreme Court in Christie vs. NCAA, legislators in Indiana have introduced a new sports wagering bill. Unfortunately, the bill includes a previously unseen poison pill in the form of a 1% “integrity fee” payable to the governing sports bodies: A sports wagering operator shall remit to a sports governing body that has provided notice to the commission under section…
