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In this podcast Steven Jacobs is joined by industry insider guests to discuss current issues in gambling law, sports law, and digital law. Their conversations focus on unwinding the tangled web of US gambling and sports laws past and present, and delve into the digital law space to cover topics including blockchain, cryptocurrency and distributed ledger technology. Steven and his guests tell the stories of people affected by these sometimes-impenetrable and often-changing landscapes, and provide insight on what will come next. 

 

Latest Episode

EPISODE 14: Designated/The Bettor's Verdict: Tornado Cash – A Discussion About Sanctions on Crypto Blenders

12 September 2022

Our Designated and Bettor’s Verdict podcasts hosts, Jonathan Cross and Steve Jacobs, come together to discuss OFAC’s recent sanctions on Tornado Cash, a crypto blender running through smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain, and a recent lawsuit to block these sanctions. Jonathan and Steve discuss the traditional reach of sanctions power, and whether that power can be applied to open-source software.

 

EPISODE 13: Calvin Ridley and Athletes That Bet Their Careers

21 March 2022

In light of Falcons star wide receiver Calvin Ridley’s recent sports bets and subsequent punishment, Professor Mark Conrad returns to the pod to discuss a brief history of sporting participants that bet on their sport.

 

Episode 12: Designated/The Bettor’s Verdict Crossover Event: Impact of Crypto on Sanctions and AML Laws in the United States

12 October 2021

John O’Donnell, Jonathan Cross, and Steve Jacobs discuss the significant impact that the rise of crypto has had, and is likely to have going forward, on sanctions and AML laws in the United States.

 

Episode 11: The Future of Finance

28 September 2021

On this episode, host Steve Jacobs is joined by John Ho (Head of Legal, Financial Markets, Standard Chartered Bank) to discuss the latest developments in the world of blockchain, cryptocurrency and distributed ledger technology. Topics include Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), and the imminent wave of significant regulation coming in the United States.

 

Episode 10: Marc Lasry Joins The Pod!

1 September 2021

Marc Lasry, CEO of Avenue Capital and co-owner of the 2021 NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks, joins the pod to discuss his pre-finance background as a lawyer, taking the Bucks from worst to first, the development of stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, the 2020 NBA Disney Bubble, and the Bucks' 2021 championship run.

 

Episode 9: Theater of the Absurd in the US Senate

10 August 2021

On this episode host Steven Jacobs goes solo to discuss the Senate's debate on the trillion dollar infrastructure bill, and the severe ramifications it could have for the US Cryptocurrency industry.

 

Episode 8: Updates on Legalization of Mobile Sports Gambling in New York

20 July 2021

On this episode Steven Jacobs is joined again by Robert Linnehan, a writer at XLMedia, to discuss recent updates regarding legislation that would legalize mobile sports wagering in New York.

 

Episode 7: NCAA v. Alston: SCOTUS Speaks On Athlete Compensation

7 July 2021

On this episode Professor Mark Conrad returns to the pod to discuss the landmark SCOTUS decision, NCAA v. Alston, regarding the NCAA's longstanding limits on compensation for college athletes.

 

Episode 6: The Cards Speak Freely

28 May 2021

On this episode Steven Jacobs is joined by poker pro and host of PokerFraudAlert Radio, Todd Witteles. The two first discuss whether the law ought to treat poker as a form of gambling, and then discuss a scandal that rocked the poker universe, and the lawsuit that followed.

 

Episode 5: A Gambling Apprenticeship

7 May 2021

On this episode Steven Jacobs is joined by Danielle Langhoff and Yasmin Mitha, experts on addiction-related legal claims and regulation, to discuss loot boxes, social casinos, and gaming apps that may target children with addictive in-game purchases which include randomized rewards—creating what some have referred to as a "gambling apprenticeship." The discussion touches upon how these games may run afoul of gambling laws, the lawsuits we are seeing in this area, and best practices for game developers to avoid legal risk.

 

Episode 4: EMERGENCY POD on Legalization of Mobile Sports Gambling in New York

14 April 2021

On this emergency episode Steven Jacobs is joined by Robert Linnehan, a writer at XLMedia, to discuss recently-publicized legislation that would legalize mobile sports wagering in New York.

 

Episode 3: The Blockchain and the Digital Future

31 March 2021

On this episode Steven Jacobs is joined by Natasha Blycha, the Global Head of Digital Law at Herbert Smith Freehills and an expert on blockchain and distributed ledger technology.  Jacobs and Blycha discuss this revolutionary technology and how it may further disrupt the legal world (and the gambling world).  The discussion includes a focus on cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens, and smart contracts.

 

Episode 2: Betting On The Big Game — Sports Gambling Law In The United States

11 March 2021

In this episode Steven Jacobs is joined by Professor Mark Conrad, an expert on sports law and gambling law who teaches at the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University, to discuss the law of sports gambling in the United States. Billions of dollars are bet on US sporting events every year, but until recently, this betting was unlawful in nearly every state. Jacobs and Conrad unpack the history of these laws and discuss this rapidly changing legal landscape in the wake of a landmark 2018 Supreme Court decision.

 

Episode 1: The Rise, and Fall, and Rise Again of Online Poker in the United States

1 March 2021

Steve Ruddock, Editor-in Chief of Gaming Law Review and Content Director for BettingUSA.com, joins Steven Jacobs for a deep dive regarding the always opaque and sometimes absurd online poker laws in the US, past and present. The discussion includes legal analysis of and industry anecdotes regarding the laws that have impacted online poker spanning from the rise of the internet in the early 2000s, through today.

 

 

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Steven Jacobs

Senior Associate, New York

Steven Jacobs
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Scott S. Balber

Managing Partner, New York

Scott S. Balber
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Hayley Brady

Partner, Head of Media and Digital, UK, London

Hayley Brady

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