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Online Gaming & Gambling

onlinegamingandgambling

Online Gaming & Gambling

At the intersection of interactive gaming and government regulation, one firm stands out.

Ifrah Law has represented online gaming clients since the inception of the industry, and now represents many of the largest iGaming and online sports betting companies, ancillary service providers, and industry associations in the world. We have been at the center of precedent-setting prosecutions and lawsuits in the online gaming industry, and we were instrumental in the creation of the legislative and regulatory frameworks in the first states to permit online gaming: Delaware, New Jersey, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.

Nationally ranked by Chambers USA in Gaming & Licensing Law, Jeff Ifrah and his firm bring decades of experience in betting and wagering law to advise startups in the eSports space, including both real money and skill-based p2p competition sites, on compliance with both state and federal law. Our clients in the sports betting arena include FanDuel, FOXBet, Bet365, Playtech, Unikrn, WorldPay/FIS Global, and Sportradar. Jeff and his team have also gained a strong reputation in other innovative internet-based industries such as payment processing and money transmission.

The firm is a founding member of iDEA (iDevelopment and Economic Association), an association which seeks to grow jobs and expand online interactive entertainment business in the United States through advocacy and education. Its members include, Boyd Interactive, DraftKings, Fanatics, Light & Wonder, and Worldpay, among others. On behalf of iDEA, Ifrah Law submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in the seminal sports betting case Murphy v. NCAA, which was decided in favor of iDEA’s argument urging the rights of states to direct their own economies.

Two characteristics uniquely qualify Ifrah Law to represent iGaming companies:

  • Our substantial experience in both criminal defense and civil litigation. This is invaluable because even civil cases can expose iGaming companies to criminal prosecution. We are litigators who know the risks and how to avoid them.
  • Our knowledge of the Online Gaming industry and the people who work in it. We are a firm of lawyers who share a passion for understanding our clients and their businesses. Through our representation of iGaming businesses since the industry’s beginnings, we have acquired an in-depth understanding which is key to our ability to craft solutions that meet our clients’ goals.

Jeff Ifrah and his team advise online casino operators, poker and fantasy sports sites, and payment processors on class action lawsuits, mergers and acquisitions, vendor and supplier issues, government investigations and criminal matters. We also serve as Special Internet Counsel for the Delaware State Lottery. The firm is known for representing clients in cases involving progressive areas of the gaming industry, such as sports betting, social gaming, skins betting, iGaming, online sweepstakes and lotteries, peer-to-peer betting and mobile gaming.

Ifrah Law publishes the blog, Ifrah on iGaming and maintains a timely white paper entitled, “The Definitive Guide to Online Gaming and Betting in the U.S.” (available for download here), a comprehensive overview of iGaming legislation and business opportunities. The firm has been honored by industry associations such as eGaming Review for its innovation, excellence, and dedication to best practices, and Jeff Ifrah frequently presents on issues pertaining to iGaming law for organizations like the American Bar Association (ABA), the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL) and the International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA).

Case Studies

Sports Betting Data Company Licensing and Preserving Commercial Contracts

A sports betting data company contacted Ifrah Law to assist with its licensing process in New Jersey and Mississippi in relation to its sports betting business. The company provides sports betting data to sports books all over the world and is seeking licensure in New Jersey and Mississippi.

Ifrah Law assisted with the licensing process, including reviewing applications and disclosures, advising on proper disclosures for corporate officers and the various business entities, and working directly with regulators on the licensing process. We were successful in securing approval for operations in New Jersey while the investigation was underway.

The firm also assisted with petitioning the Mississippi Gaming Commission for approval to begin offering certain sports betting products prior to finalization of the license application, thus preserving the company’s commercial contracts.

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Ifrah Law Represents Seller in Multi-Million Dollar Acquisition of Affiliate Marketing Company by Publicly Traded International iGaming Corporation

As the legislative climate for iGaming improves across the U.S., Ifrah Law frequently represents companies seeking to take advantage of the opportunities available in the profitable nexus between affiliate marketing and online gaming. Its lawyers’ in-depth knowledge of the industry as well as applicable gaming laws makes it the go-to firm for building profitable businesses in the affiliate marketing and iGaming industries, which are increasingly attractive to larger buyers.

Clients turn to the firm to create meaningful agreements, often in an accelerated time frame, which provide value to buyers while at the same time encouraging sellers to continue innovating.

As an example, Ifrah Law represented an affiliate marketing company in a $6.5 million acquisition by an international gaming company, a deal the buyer said confirmed its position as the number one player in U.S. iGaming lead generation.

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Leading a First-of-its-Kind Battle to Block the Seizure of Domain Names

When the state of Kentucky tried to seize the domain names of 141 internet gambling sites, alleging they were in violation of its gambling laws, the Interactive Gaming Council hired Ifrah Law to represent 61 impacted owners. The state’s suit was the first of its kind anywhere and threatened severe consequences for both Internet commerce and civil liberties.

Ifrah Law persuaded the Kentucky Court of Appeals that the judge ordering the seizure had exceeded his jurisdiction and that the seizures should be blocked.

On appeal, we continued to fight the forfeiture over such novel legal questions as whether a domain name can be considered a gambling device or property subject to seizure.

The Supreme Court ruled that the case was not properly before it due to a legal technicality, and the litigation was eventually abandoned by the plaintiff’s lawyers.

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