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CFTC Sends Message to Prediction Markets: You Are Not a Sportsbook
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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…
Va. Court Declines to Decide Status of Poker Under State’s Gambling Law
March 4, 2013
Va. Court Declines to Decide Status of Poker Under State’s Gambling Law
By: Ifrah Law
On February 28, 2013, the Virginia Supreme Court issued an opinion in which it declined to address the legality of playing poker in the state but left open the possibility for the issue to be decided in a future case. The full opinion in the case, Daniels v. Mobley, is available here. Charles Daniels, a former poker hall operator who operated charitable bingo halls in…
Federal Judge Strikes Down N.J. Sports Betting Statute as Conflicting With Federal Law
March 1, 2013
Federal Judge Strikes Down N.J. Sports Betting Statute as Conflicting With Federal Law
By: Ifrah Law
Last night, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Shipp released an opinion in the widely watched New Jersey sports betting case, stating that New Jersey’s sports betting law is invalid as conflicting with federal law. Now, the future of sports betting in the United States will be decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The Professional and Amateur Sports Betting Act of…
Facebook Takes Steps to Expand Presence in Real Money Gaming
February 11, 2013
Facebook Takes Steps to Expand Presence in Real Money Gaming
By: Ifrah Law
Facebook is quickly expanding its real money gaming platform. Net Entertainments has signed a license agreement with Bonza Gaming, which is a joint venture between gaming publisher Plumbee and online gaming operator Sportingbet. Under the agreement Net Entertainment will offer a range of casino games to Bonza Gaming, which will create an app, Bonza Slots, that will be available on Facebook to users that want…
DOJ Brief Tries to Keep N.J. Sports Gaming Law Out of Bounds
February 3, 2013
DOJ Brief Tries to Keep N.J. Sports Gaming Law Out of Bounds
By: Ifrah Law
On Friday, February 1, 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey defending the constitutionality of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), the hotly contested federal law that prohibits sports betting in most states. New Jersey is seeking to have the court find this law unconstitutional. A win for…
DOJ Plans to Intervene in N.J. Sports-Betting Case
January 22, 2013
DOJ Plans to Intervene in N.J. Sports-Betting Case
By: Ifrah Law
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on January 22, 2013, that it plans to intervene in the lawsuit brought by the four major professional sports leagues and the NCAA challenging a New Jersey state law that legalized sports betting in the state. The leagues have argued in court papers that the New Jersey law is invalid because it directly contravenes a 1992 federal law, the…
