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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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…

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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…

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Daily Fantasy Sports and the Start of Class Action Season

January 7, 2015

Daily Fantasy Sports and the Start of Class Action Season

By: Ifrah Law

While billions of dollars of sports betting continues in the shadowy world of illegal off-shore sports books, the fantasy sports business has been on fire.  And as fantasy sports becomes the new hot “thing” online, it has continued to evolve: Dozens of companies are entering the market to offer everything thing from the increasingly common single day fantasy contests to the stock market-like contest offered…

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The Current State of Online Lottery Sales and the Outlook for 2015

December 23, 2014

The Current State of Online Lottery Sales and the Outlook for 2015

By: Ifrah Law

As states continue to search for ways to generate additional revenue, several states have explored the possibility of selling lottery tickets online.  Online lottery ticket sales represent an untapped market for state lotteries that could see rapid expansion in the next several years and it also looks to be a hot issue in several state legislatures for 2015. In 2011, an opinion issued by the Department of…

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Google Play and the Slow Transition to Mobile for Real Money Gaming

November 18, 2014

Google Play and the Slow Transition to Mobile for Real Money Gaming

By: Ifrah Law

If the past 10 years have taught us anything it’s that the future is not just online, it’s on the go.  For countless consumers, mobile and tablet devices are the preferred method of accessing online content.  After a slow start, gaming developers have come around to prioritizing mobile platforms.  All of this momentum has ground to a halt at the most unlikely of sources: app…

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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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