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Gambling on Skill: Enforcement of Gambling Laws Against Skill Games in Outlier States
FEATURED
March 10, 2026
Gambling on Skill: Enforcement of Gambling Laws Against Skill Games in Outlier States
By: Jordan Briggs
In many states, people can legally pay entry fees to participate in a skill game and win cash prizes. For most states that allow participants to wager on their own skilled gameplay, the analysis for whether a certain game qualifies as a legal skill game turns on whether the game is one of chance or of skill. Each state has its own test to determine if a game is chance or skill, but these tests fall into three categories. The most common test is the “predominant factor” test, which recognizes that all games have some element of chance but hinges on whether skill dominates the contest. If factors like superior knowledge, dexterity, and practice contribute largely to the outcome (i.e.,…
CFTC Plants the Flag on Regulating Prediction Markets
March 4, 2026
CFTC Plants the Flag on Regulating Prediction Markets
By: John Mikuta
On February 25, 2026, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”), the governmental body primarily responsible for overseeing prediction markets, took a significant step toward consolidating its authority to oversee trading activities on prediction-market platforms.[1] The CFTC’s Division of Enforcement issued a “Prediction Markets Advisory” describing two enforcement actions brought by Kalshi, the world’s largest prediction market.[2] Both enforcement actions involved trades by Kalshi users who…
Jeff Ifrah Talks iGaming M&A: Opportunities, Strategies, and Smart Plays
February 18, 2026
Jeff Ifrah Talks iGaming M&A: Opportunities, Strategies, and Smart Plays
By: Ifrah Law
One of the best-known power players in iGaming, Jeff Ifrah is both the team captain and the founding MVP of Ifrah Law’s nationally ranked Online Gaming and Sports Betting practice. His strength as a litigator is matched by his depth as a business strategist and counselor. A respected dealmaker, Jeff has helped to incubate, structure and advise on many of the industry’s game-changing M&A transactions…
Legal Sports Betting Arrives in The Centennial State
November 7, 2019
Legal Sports Betting Arrives in The Centennial State
By: Ifrah Law
Yesterday, Colorado voters narrowly approved a sports betting referendum, establishing Colorado as a sports betting leader in the Mountain West. The referendum was a long time coming, with the bill allowing the referendum to go forward having been passed last May. Signed by Governor Polis on May 29, House Bill 1327 placed a referendum on November’s ballot that would legalize sports betting at three existing…
NCAA Announces Groundbreaking Decision to Allow Compensation for College Athletes
October 30, 2019
NCAA Announces Groundbreaking Decision to Allow Compensation for College Athletes
By: Steven Eichorn
Yesterday, the NCAA Board of Governors unanimously voted to allow college athletes to receive some form of compensation.The permitted compensation is limited to “the opportunity to benefit from the use of their name, image, and likeness,” however, athletes will still not be permitted to receive compensation for their actual on-field play. To view the official NCAA Release, Click Here The concession to allow some form…
Google Advances the Ball for Online Gaming in the U.S., With a Boost from Sports Betting
October 23, 2019
Google Advances the Ball for Online Gaming in the U.S., With a Boost from Sports Betting
By: Nicole Kardell
Google is planning to unblock online casino advertisements in the regulated U.S. gambling market in early 2020, according to a . The lift on casino ads in markets where it is legalized and regulated should help the industry get traction, boost revenues, and pave the way for other states to come online. Importantly, it should also help offset the imbalance between (1) nascent legal, regulated…
Ifrah Law: 10 Years in the Online Gaming and Sports Betting Industry
October 17, 2019
Ifrah Law: 10 Years in the Online Gaming and Sports Betting Industry
By: Ifrah Law
As Ifrah Law celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, we are pleased with the recent legal breakthroughs that have the potential to bring online interactive gaming into the U.S. mainstream, where it can create jobs and offer a secure, exciting experience for adults nationwide. For our firm’s founder, Jeff Ifrah, a passion for advancing online gaming was kindled in 1999, when as a member of…
Ifrah Law’s “The Definitive Guide to Online Gaming and Betting in the U.S.” is Available for Download
October 8, 2019
Ifrah Law’s “The Definitive Guide to Online Gaming and Betting in the U.S.” is Available for Download
By: Jeff Ifrah
Complimentary eBook offers a comprehensive overview of the rapidly evolving U.S. online gaming and betting industry. “The Definitive Guide to Online Gaming and Betting in the U.S.” is now available – at no cost – as a downloadable eBook from Ifrah Law, which has been forging the legal framework for the online gaming industry for more than a decade. This concise but comprehensive Guide brings…
