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John Holden
Latest articles
New Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over Skillz SPAC
Last week, lawyers representing Darcy Lien and other Skillz investors filed a lawsuit against Eagle Equity Partners II, LLC. The suit, filed in the Delaware Court of Chancery, also names several individuals involved with the company as defendants. These include the former CEO of MGM Studios and the former president of CBS Entertainment. The litigation involves the path Skillz […]
Reports Suggest CFTC Likely to Deny Prediction Contracts on Political Outcomes
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has not yet officially ruled on whether it will allow Kalshi to offer political contracts. However, there are multiple reports circulating that the agency’s staff has recommended against it. Kalshi is what’s known colloquially as a predictions market, meaning users trade shares whose value is tied to real-world events. Staffers have […]
Response to Shoalwater Bay Tribe’s Motion to Dismiss the Maverick Gaming Case
On Monday, Oct 24, 2022, numerous parties filed briefs in preparation for oral arguments in Maverick Gaming’s lawsuit. The defendants in the suit are the Department of the Interior, plus several Washington State officials, including Governor Jay Inslee. At issue is whether Washington can grant exclusive rights to sports betting to tribes in the State. Maverick cannot […]
Shoalwater Bay Tribe Files Motion To Dismiss Maverick Gaming Lawsuit
The pivotal moment has come in a court battle over tribal gaming compacts in Washington. It was inevitable that the Shoalwater Bay Tribe would file a motion to dismiss upon receiving permission to intervene in the case. They have now done just that. The original parties in the case are Maverick Gaming as the plaintiff […]
Complaint Filed By Parx Casino Alleges Competitor Engaged In Unfair Competition
The casino space is highly competitive. Gambling operators compete not only against their regulated compatriots but also against a mix of offshore black market and domestic gray market competitors. Earlier this month, Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment – which owns Parx Casino and BetParx – filed suit against Pace O-Matic (POM) and Miele Manufacturing. It alleges that the defendants […]
Nickle and Dimed: Lawsuits Allege US Retail Casino Gamblers Shortchanged
Claiming they were deprived of exact change from their slots cashouts, a class of US retail casino patrons filed at least two lawsuits recently. They allege they were shortchanged by the cash-out systems on electronic gaming systems. On Sept. 21, plaintiff Leane Scherer filed the first lawsuit in the Southern District of Mississippi against Las […]
Maverick Gaming Case On Pause Thanks to Shoalwater Bay Tribe’s Intervention
Late last month, Judge David Estudillo of the federal Western District of Washington issued an order in the case Maverick Gaming brought against the U.S. Department of the Interior. The order came in response to a motion from the Shoalwater Bay Tribe, which has sought to intervene in the case on a limited basis. The […]
PredictIt Fires Back At CFTC With A Lawsuit Challenging Shutdown
In August, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) reversed the decision that has allowed the election prediction market site PredictIt to operate. Now, a lawsuit is underway to keep the site up and running. The CFTC sent a letter to the site operators, indicating that the agency was revoking its No-Action letter. That earlier letter […]
New Ninth Circuit Ruling Could Have Impact On Washington Compact Litigation
A new, split decision opinion from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has the potential to impact the battle over tribal compacts playing out in Washington. The Ninth Circuit decided by 2-1 vote to grant summary judgment to the Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Mewukl Indians. They and other tribes had brought suit against California and […]
Opinion: Maverick Gaming May Be Opening Pandora’s Box
Maverick Gaming is still waiting for the court’s response after it filed for summary judgment in its litigation with the Department of the Interior and various Washington State officials. The impact of that decision could prove historic. The case revolves around new compacts between the state and more than a dozen tribes within its borders. These […]