On August 28, the CFPB issued a Consumer Advisory warning that it believes video game companies are targeting children for monetary gain. With 45.7 million U.S. children engaged in video gameplay, the agency is concerned...more
9/18/2024
/ Business Model ,
Consumer Advisory Board ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Consumer Protection Laws ,
Cybersecurity ,
eSports ,
FinTech ,
Gaming ,
Online Gaming ,
Online Platforms ,
Online Safety for Children ,
Privacy Laws ,
Technology Sector
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) published a report on Banking in Video Games and Virtual Worlds (“Report”) that warns of greater scrutiny of and enforcements against the financial services offered in games...more
Loot boxes have become a regular feature in many mainstream video games. However, while their popularity is clear amongst gamers, the legal issues and positions from regulators about their use, both in the US and abroad, are...more
Iowa enacted a sports betting law last May. Section 99E addressed fantasy sports contests and Section 99F addressed sports betting.
Under Section 99E: a “Fantasy sports contest” includes any fantasy or simulated game or...more
The European Commission has informed various game companies (platforms and publishers) of its preliminary view that the companies prevented consumers from purchasing video games cross-border from other Member States, in...more
4/15/2019
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Bilateral Agreements ,
Cross-Border ,
E-Commerce ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Exports ,
Geo-Blocking ,
Member State ,
Online Gaming ,
Online Platforms ,
Statement of Objection (SO) ,
Video Games
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued an opinion (DOJ Opinion) that reverses its 2011 Memo, in which it opined that the prohibitions of the Wire Act are limited to sports betting. In the DOJ Opinion, the DOJ has...more
Recently, there has been a frenzy of legal activity with U.S. gambling laws and the number of gambling-related legal issues with video games. U.S. gambling laws have changed more in the past few years than they have in a long...more
9/14/2018
/ Blockchain ,
Casinos ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Enforcement Actions ,
eSports ,
Fantasy Sports ,
Gambling ,
Game of Skill ,
Games of Chance ,
Internet ,
Mobile Apps ,
Online Gaming ,
PASPA ,
Sports Betting ,
Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) ,
Video Games ,
Virtual Currency ,
Virtual Goods ,
Wire Act
Churchill Downs has filed a Petition For Rehearing En Banc, seeking to overturn the Ninth Circuit decision in the Big Fish case. As we previously reported, The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a district court’s...more
The flurry of proposed legislative activity around loot boxes continues. State Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South Saint Paul) introduced H.F. 4460in Minnesota this week. H.F. 4460 would prohibit game purchases that result in random...more
4/27/2018
/ Gambling ,
Gaming ,
Illegal Gambling ,
Internet ,
Minors ,
Mobile Apps ,
Online Gaming ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Retailers ,
Rewards ,
Video Games ,
Virtual Goods ,
Warning Labels
As we have previously reported, the subject of loot boxes has received increasing scrutiny around the world. In one of the most recent pronouncements, the Dutch Gambling Authority (the “Authority”) declared the loot box...more
Apple just announced a number of changes to its App Store Review Guidelines, including the requirement that apps offering “loot boxes” or other mechanisms that provide randomized virtual items for purchase must disclose the...more
We recently blogged on legal issues with loot boxes as a game mechanic, and some of the scrutiny to which they are being subjected. The debate continues on whether loot boxes are an illegal gambling mechanic, but at least for...more
A member of the United Kingdom’s Parliament has opened an inquiry into the legality of loot boxes. Loot boxes are virtual items that may be redeemed to receive a randomized selection of additional virtual items. Various...more
In a follow up to a lawsuit we previously reported on, a California District Court ruled on summary judgment that a horseracing-based fantasy sports game constitutes illegal wagering....more
The SEC shut down a “fantasy” stock picking game for allegedly violating securities laws. Forcerank LLC ran contests via mobile phone games where players paid a fee and predicted the order in which 10 securities would perform...more
Just days after a New York State’s Daily Fantasy Sports law was passed, the New York Gaming Commission announced it has issued temporary permits to 5 DFS operators. The companies are DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo, Fantasy Draft...more
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has signed into law a bill to legalize daily fantasy sports in the Commonwealth. Massachusetts is the ninth state to legalize daily fantasy sports, and the eighth to do so this year. The...more
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a bill to legalize daily fantasy sports in New York. This is the eighth state to legalize daily fantasy sports, and the seventh to do so this year. With the start of the NFL season just...more
There has been a new development in the ongoing legal battle between New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and daily fantasy sports (DFS) operators DraftKings and FanDuel, as the two largest DFS operators agreed earlier...more
Virginia’s House and Senate have both passed a bill (SB 646) that would legalize, but regulate, fantasy sports in Virginia. All that is needed is for Governor McAuliffe to sign it into law. If passed, the law would create...more
Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin has found that daily fantasy sports are currently legal under Rhode Island law. Kilmartin also strongly advised the Legislature to establish regulations to protect Rhode Island players....more
The Mississippi AG issued an opinion last week declaring: “Fantasy sports wagering is illegal in the state of Mississippi under current law both on a licensed gaming floor and outside of a licensed gaming floor. Any change to...more
Alabama Senator Sanford introduced a bill February 2 that would exempt fantasy from Alabama’s gambling law The bill also would establish the Fantasy Contests Act to regulate the operation of fantasy or simulated contests in...more
Hawaii AG Doug Chin is one of the latest to opine that daily fantasy sports are illegal under that state’s law. According to a press release accompanying the opinion, “Gambling generally occurs under Hawaii law when a person...more
On January 19, 2016, the Texas AG issued an opinion that paid Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) are illegal under Texas law, but noted that “traditional” fantasy sports leagues are, as a general rule, legal under Texas law. In so...more