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Gambling on Skill: Enforcement of Gambling Laws Against Skill Games in Outlier States
FEATURED
March 10, 2026
Gambling on Skill: Enforcement of Gambling Laws Against Skill Games in Outlier States
By: Jordan Briggs
In many states, people can legally pay entry fees to participate in a skill game and win cash prizes. For most states that allow participants to wager on their own skilled gameplay, the analysis for whether a certain game qualifies as a legal skill game turns on whether the game is one of chance or of skill. Each state has its own test to determine if a game is chance or skill, but these tests fall into three categories. The most common test is the “predominant factor” test, which recognizes that all games have some element of chance but hinges on whether skill dominates the contest. If factors like superior knowledge, dexterity, and practice contribute largely to the outcome (i.e.,…
CFTC Plants the Flag on Regulating Prediction Markets
March 4, 2026
CFTC Plants the Flag on Regulating Prediction Markets
By: John Mikuta
On February 25, 2026, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), the governmental body primarily responsible for overseeing prediction markets, took a significant step toward consolidating its authority to oversee trading activities on prediction-market platforms.[1] The CFTC’s Division of Enforcement issued a “Prediction Markets Advisory” describing two enforcement actions brought by Kalshi, the world’s largest prediction market.[2] Both enforcement actions involved trades by Kalshi users who…
Jeff Ifrah Talks iGaming M&A: Opportunities, Strategies, and Smart Plays
February 18, 2026
Jeff Ifrah Talks iGaming M&A: Opportunities, Strategies, and Smart Plays
By: Ifrah Law
One of the best-known power players in iGaming, Jeff Ifrah is both the team captain and the founding MVP of Ifrah Law’s nationally ranked Online Gaming and Sports Betting practice. His strength as a litigator is matched by his depth as a business strategist and counselor. A respected dealmaker, Jeff has helped to incubate, structure and advise on many of the industry’s game-changing M&A transactions…
Many Firsts Surrounding This Year’s GiGse Conference
April 23, 2015
Many Firsts Surrounding This Year’s GiGse Conference
By: Ifrah Law
The 2015 Global iGaming Summit & Expo (GiGse) took place last week in San Francisco, and coincided with many exciting industry firsts. GiGse is the largest and most established event in North America which annually attracts over 700 iGaming and related industry professionals from all over the world. On April 20th, eGaming Review (EGR) North America, named Ifrah Law “Best Legal and Compliance Partner” in the U.S. at their inaugural…
Phoenix Project: Atlantic City Can Rise From The Ashes
April 8, 2015
Phoenix Project: Atlantic City Can Rise From The Ashes
By: Ifrah Law
Most of the news from the Atlantic City Boardwalk over the last couple of years has not been promising. Several of the massive casino resort properties there have closed and/or slipped into bankruptcy, and the resale or reopening of the properties has been stalled by legal and financial hurdles. But a new plan for development of the Boardwalk hopes to take the area in a…
Recap of RAWA House Subcommittee Hearing and What It Means for iGaming
March 30, 2015
Recap of RAWA House Subcommittee Hearing and What It Means for iGaming
By: Ifrah Law
The House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations held a hearing last week to consider bill HR 707, the “Restoration of America’s Wire Act,” or RAWA. The proposed bill would prohibit most types of online gambling, whether or not they have been legalized and regulated by any state. The bill was drafted in response to 2011 Department of Justice opinion letter stating that…
Nevada Sports Books Will Be Going For The Gold During The Next Olympics
March 4, 2015
Nevada Sports Books Will Be Going For The Gold During The Next Olympics
By: Ifrah Law
It seems like, during the next Olympic Games in 2016, you will be able to bet your gold legally in Nevada on who will win the gold. Nevada gaming regulators have voted unanimously to permit the state’s sports books to accept wagers on the Olympic games for the first time in years. Nevada joins international sports books in a number of other countries that already…
Minnesota’s Lottery Quagmire: The State Legislature’s Continued Resistance to Online Lottery Ticket Sales
February 23, 2015
Minnesota’s Lottery Quagmire: The State Legislature’s Continued Resistance to Online Lottery Ticket Sales
By: Ifrah Law
As Minnesota’s lottery system turns 25 years old, director Ed Van Petten has sought to follow the lead of the most technologically-advanced state lottery systems in the country by expanding into the profitable market of online ticket sales. However, at a time when many states have enjoyed the additional revenue that online lottery sales can provide, Minnesota joins a small number of states that have…
