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Ohtani-Mizuhara Scandal: A Case for Regulated Sports Betting, Not Against It
Apr 11, 2024
Ohtani-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?”…
Say it Ain’t So, Oh!
Apr 3, 2024
Say it Ain’t So, Oh!
The Shohei Ohtani betting scandal has receded from view for the moment, but its brief surfacing last week provided fundamental guidance on how not to manage a crisis faced by a professional athlete, while also giving rise to some serious issues for Major League Baseball (“MLB”) to address in the near future. Lawyers and publicists…
A Positive Result of Legalized Sports Betting is Solution for Betting Corruption and Match Fixing
Mar 26, 2024
A Positive Result of Legalized Sports Betting is Solution for Betting Corruption and Match Fixing
This month, Sportradar released its “Betting Corruption and Match-Fixing Report” (the “Report”) from the company’s Integrity Services Division[1] The Report covered approximately 850,000 sporting events and matches across 70 sports. Sportradar identified a total of 1,329 suspicious matches in 2023, in 11 sports in 105 countries. This represented a marginal increase over the 1,212 suspicious…
Ifrah Law Interviews David Purdum on Sports Integrity
Mar 22, 2024
Ifrah Law Interviews David Purdum on Sports Integrity
The stakes have never been higher for sports leagues and athletes to maintain the integrity of their contests. The mere possibility of thrown games, points shaven, or dishonest referee calls turns many bettors into pseudo-detectives, scrutinizing outcomes on behalf of their lost wagers. We interviewed David Purdum, an investigative journalist who writes on the sports…
Super Bowl LVIII’s Record-Breaking Number of Bettors Illustrates Benefits and Success of Legalization
Feb 7, 2024
Super Bowl LVIII’s Record-Breaking Number of Bettors Illustrates Benefits and Success of Legalization
In the five or so years since the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in Murphy v. NCAA, which gave way for state legislatures to legalize sports betting, more than 35 states have done so. Each successive year seems to be a record breaker for the sports betting industry as…
Surging Sportsbook Signups Illustrate Need for Ubiquitous Legal Gaming Markets
Sep 29, 2023
Surging Sportsbook Signups Illustrate Need for Ubiquitous Legal Gaming Markets
The kickoff of the NFL 2023-2024 season has held many surprises: drastically favored teams lost to their underdog opponents; surprise rookies broke out like Bijan Robinson and Puka Nacua; sports media outlets aggressively reported on the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce courtship; and much more. What has not been surprising, however, is the surge of signups on…
The Upside to the College Betting Scandals
Jul 21, 2023
The Upside to the College Betting Scandals
In May 2023, several high-profile sports betting scandals involving collegiate athletic personnel, including both coaches and players, came to light, spawning discussions about the relationship between sports integrity and sports betting. Two months after those reports, NCAA President Charlie Baker indicated that the NCAA has found 175 infractions of its sports-betting and gambling policy since…
Thinking of Starting Your Own DFS Company?
Jul 3, 2023
Thinking of Starting Your Own DFS Company?
The expansion of daily fantasy sports (“DFS”) is on the rise in the United States. As the country prepares for the 2023-24 NFL season, it is around this time we see new products come to the market. Unlike sports betting, launching a DFS product has less regulatory barriers. Although, there are a few key states…
Is Sports Wagering Regulation and Legalization Leading to More Sports Integrity?
May 25, 2023
Is Sports Wagering Regulation and Legalization Leading to More Sports Integrity?
During the debate to legalize sports wagering in the United States opponents claimed that it would lead to increased corruption and match fixing in sports. However, Sportsradar’s annual Betting Corruption and Match-Fixing Integrity Services Report for 2022[1] revealed that the number of suspicious matches has declined in North America. According to the Report the number…
NFL Gambling Policy Can Benefit From Small Modification
May 10, 2023
NFL Gambling Policy Can Benefit From Small Modification
Recently, the NFL suspended five players for violations of the league’s gambling policy. Three players received indefinite bans (with the right to apply for reinstatement after the 2023 season) because they were caught betting on NFL games in the 2022 season, while two other players received six-game suspensions for betting on non-NFL games at a…
