Insights < BACK TO ALL INSIGHTS
CFTC Plants the Flag on Regulating Prediction Markets
FEATURED
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 either had direct or indirect influence over the outcome of the event or had access to material non-public information related to the event. In the first action, a candidate for Governor of California traded about $200 on his own candidacy and posted about it on social media.[3] Kalshi’s surveillance department located the social media post…
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…
Secrets of a Compliance and Licensing Analyst: What Clients Find Most Surprising About Applying for a Gambling License
February 11, 2026
Secrets of a Compliance and Licensing Analyst: What Clients Find Most Surprising About Applying for a Gambling License
By: Amanda Holi
Drawing from my experience on the front lines at Ifrah Law—a firm dedicated to the complexities of gaming and gambling-related applications—I’ve observed that even the most prepared clients can be blindsided by the sheer depth of the licensing process. To help you prepare, here are the four most common ‘surprises’ our clients encounter: Suitability is a Deep Dive, Not a Surface Check In the gambling…
Ohtani-Mizuhara Scandal: A Case for Regulated Sports Betting, Not Against It
April 11, 2024
Ohtani-Mizuhara Scandal: A Case for Regulated Sports Betting, Not Against It
By: Jake Gray
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?” His implication is that the MLB’s embrace of sports betting…
Pennsylvania’s Aggressive and Conflicting Approach to Skill Gaming and Versus the House Fantasy Sports Operators
April 5, 2024
Pennsylvania’s Aggressive and Conflicting Approach to Skill Gaming and Versus the House Fantasy Sports Operators
By: Steven Eichorn
The early part of 2024 has proven to be unexpectedly eventful in Pennsylvania in regards to sports betting, fantasy contests, and skill games. There is always an interesting dynamic- and sometimes tension- in regards to the different regulatory regimes and which one applies to a specific platform. For example, who takes ownership over a game that offers NFL themed lottery tickets? What regulation applies to…
Say it Ain’t So, Oh!
April 3, 2024
Say it Ain’t So, Oh!
By: James Trusty
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 in the niche world of crisis management unofficially swear a…
A Positive Result of Legalized Sports Betting is Solution for Betting Corruption and Match Fixing
March 26, 2024
A Positive Result of Legalized Sports Betting is Solution for Betting Corruption and Match Fixing
By: Sara Dalsheim
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 matches Sportradar detected in 2022. 99.5% of sporting events displayed…
Ifrah Law Interviews David Purdum on Sports Integrity
March 22, 2024
Ifrah Law Interviews David Purdum on Sports Integrity
By: Jake Gray
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 betting industry for ESPN, for his thoughts on sports integrity…
