Gambling, Sports Betting, and America’s Evolving View
No less an authority than the Supreme Court has posited that “Americans have never been of one mind about gambling, and attitudes have swung back and forth.”[1] Shifting considerably over time, America’s views and social acceptance of gambling builds on a nearly 100-year trend towards the expansion of legalized gambling. By the end of the…
Read MoreMassachusetts Gaming Commission Signals Intent to Regulate Sports Wagering Limits and Invites Operators to Join the Conversation
At a public meeting held on August 1st, members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (the “Commission”) voiced their frustration with sports betting operators’ unwillingness to publicly discuss their position on the issue of bettor and wager limits. Although the Commission has yet to propose any rules that would limit the operators’ ability to impose wager…
Read MoreProtection or Censorship? – New Child Protection Law Sparks First Amendment Debate
As this congressional session draws to a close, legislators are debating a new bill aimed at protecting kids and teens from the dangers of the Internet and social media. If enacted, the bill known as the Kids’ Online Safety Act (“KOSA”), would impose a “duty of care” on online platforms, requiring them to take affirmative…
Read MoreGoogle Now Allows Daily Fantasy Sports Advertisements in Limited States
On July 15, 2024, Google Ads updated its Gambling and games policy (the “Policy”)[1] to allow Daily Fantasy Sports (“DFS”) and lottery couriers to advertise in certain US states. Advertisers for DFS or lottery couriers must be licensed by at least one state and certified with Google prior to running these ads. Even after these…
Read MoreSix Ways to Delay a Supplier’s Licensure to Service Gaming Operators
Ifrah Law specializes in matters related to sports betting and gaming, so it is no surprise that we have helped many businesses apply for and obtain the credentials they need to service the gaming industry. Because gambling is generally a matter of state law, entities that want to participate in that industry must go through…
Read MoreOntario Lottery Survives Legal Challenge by the Mohawk Council of the Kahnawà:ke
The Ontario Superior Court handed a clean victory to Ontario’s internet gaming (“iGaming”) regulator and Attorney General last Monday, when it declared that Ontario’s regime for online gaming comports with Canada’s Constitution and Criminal Code. The much-anticipated decision disposed of a lawsuit that the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (the “Council”) filed in November 2022, alleging…
Read MoreSports Betting Advertisement Numbers Actually Decreasing
Legal online sportsbetting, is still relatively new in America.[1] Over the last six years, as more states have legalized online sportsbetting, Americans have noticed more and more ads, leaving some feeling inundated with these ads.[2] But have Americans really seen more online sportsbetting ads, or have they only noticed more ads? Today, the American Gaming…
Read MoreAd-Tech Europe: The Moving Target Marking Targeted Advertising
The European Data Protection Board (“EDPB”) recently published an opinion on the legality of pay-or-consent models for online platforms offering services in Europe. While the opinion is non-binding and limited to “large online platforms[1],” companies that offer platforms large and small in Europe should pay attention to the EDPB’s analysis—it will inform their future guidance…
Read MoreCFPB Banking in Video Games and Virtual Worlds
Converting your dollar to donuts,[1] or whatever in-game currency you choose, has never been easier. As microtransactions online become easier to execute and more prevalent, the in-game economies start to resemble traditional banking—minus the standard banking protections. This issue is not lost on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Earlier this month, the CFPB released…
Read MoreOhtani-Mizuhara Scandal: A Case for Regulated Sports Betting, Not Against It
Shohei Ohtani finds himself at the center of a sports betting scandal and regulated sports betting naysayers have taken the opportunity to toot their own horns. The opening line of this LA Times article, by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael Hiltzik, states: “Question for Major League Baseball: How do you like your sports betting partnerships now?”…
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