Firm news

Daniel Wallach Appears on Super Bowl “Radio Row” to Discuss the Houston Astros’ Sign-Stealing Scandal and Whether Losing Bettors Can Sue Major League Baseball and the Astros

Miami, Florida, January 29, 2020

Wallach Legal founder Daniel Wallach, a nationally recognized gaming and sports law expert, made the rounds of “Radio Row” during Super Bowl LIV in Miami. Florida to discuss the leading sports law controversies of the day. Here, he joins WNST’s Nestor Aparicio to debate whether sports bettors can sue Major League Baseball and the Houston Astros over the recent Astros sign-stealing scandal. A video clip of Dan’s interview with Nestor can be seen here.

Daniel Wallach Testifies Before the California Legislature on Whether a Constitutional Amendment is Required for the Legalization of Sports Betting

Sacramento, California, January 8, 2020

Wallach Legal founder Daniel Wallach, a nationally recognized gaming and sports betting attorney, was invited to testify before a joint informational hearing of the California Senate and California Assembly Governmental Organization Committees to provide expert testimony on whether the legalization of sports wagering in California could be achieved through a statutory enactment rather than by an amendment to the California Constitution. Mr. Wallach opined that a constitutional amendment was not required because the California Constitution’s ban against the legislative authorization of “casinos of the type currently operating in Nevada and New Jersey” expressed in Article IV, Section 19(e) does not apply to sports wagering, which is a different species of gambling. For additional reporting on Wallach’s panel remarks, click here and here.

Daniel Wallach Testifies Before the Kentucky General Assembly on the Constitutionality of Sports Betting

Frankfort, Kentucky, December 16, 2019

Wallach Legal founder Daniel Wallach, a nationally recognized gaming and sports betting attorney, was invited to testify before the Kentucky General Assembly’s Interim Joint Committee on Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations, which was considering legislation to allow in-person and online sports betting in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Committee Chairman, Representative Adam Koenig, specifically invited Wallach to address the following question: Does the prohibition against “lotteries” in Section 226(3) of the Kentucky Constitution operate to prevent the General Assembly from legalizing sports wagering?

Based on his extensive research and analysis of Kentucky law, which included examining the floor debates of the Kentucky Constitutional Convention of 1890, Wallach concluded that the legislative authorization of sports wagering would not constitute the approval of a prohibited lottery, and, therefore, would not necessitate an amendment to the Kentucky Constitution.

As part of his testimony, Wallach unearthed an archival document which revealed the constitutional delegates of 1890 considered—and rejected—a proposed amendment that would have included a ban on sports betting (referred to as “betting on baseball”) within the scope of the lottery prohibition. At the conclusion of his testimony, Kentucky Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer told Wallach that his testimony was “the best testimony from a lawyer in front of this committee I’ve ever heard” and that Wallach had provided the committee with a “mic drop” moment. For additional reporting on Wallach’s panel remarks, click here, here, and here.

Daniel Wallach Testifies Before the New York Senate on the Constitutionality of Online Sports Betting

Albany, New York, May 7, 2019

Wallach Legal founder Daniel Wallach, a nationally recognized gaming and sports betting attorney, was invited to testify before the New York State Senate Standing Committee as part of a public hearing titled “Sports Betting with a Mobile Component in New York State.” At the request of the Committee Chairman, Joseph Addabbo, Jr., Dan addressed the issue of whether the legalization of online sports betting in New York State would require an amendment to Article I, Section 9 of the New York Constitution through a ballot question presented to voters.

Submitting a prepared written statement and testifying in person (click here; testimony starts at 2:53:35), Dan laid out five compelling reasons why the legalization of online sports betting in New York would not require a constitutional amendment and could be accomplished through new legislation enacted by the New York Legislature and signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo. In large part due to Wallach’s crucial legislative testimony, New York State eventually legalized online sports betting. For additional reporting on Wallach’s panel remarks, click here.

Daniel Wallach Opens the Country’s First Sports Betting-Focused Law Firm

Hallandale Beach, Florida, February 18, 2019

Gaming attorney and sports betting legal expert, Daniel Wallach, has announced the formation of Wallach Legal LLC, a law firm devoted exclusively to the burgeoning field of sports wagering and gaming law in the United States. Dan advises professional sports teams, sports betting operators, fantasy sports companies, casinos, racetracks, skill-based gaming operators, video game developers, gaming equipment manufacturers, gaming vendors, sports integrity firms, sports data providers, peer-to-peer platforms, and start-up companies. He is a general member of the prestigious International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL), an invitation-only organization for attorneys who have distinguished themselves through demonstrated performance and publishing in gaming law, significant gaming clientele and substantial participation in the gaming industry.

Dan is one of the nation’s foremost legal authorities in the field of sports gambling. He has become the ‘go-to’ attorney to discuss sports gambling in the national media and has appeared numerous times on outlets such as ESPN, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News, Fox Business, Frontline and C-SPAN to discuss the expansion of legalized sports gambling in the United States. Dan has appeared as an expert panelist at dozens of gaming industry conferences and symposia devoted to the subject of sports betting legalization, and speaks regularly to lawmakers seeking expert advice, including at the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS), where he recently was a featured panelist informing state lawmakers about the nuances related to possible sports betting legislation in the wake of the landmark Murphy v. NCAA decision.

Dan is the co-founding director of the University of New Hampshire School of Law’s Sports Wagering and Integrity Program, the nation’s first law school certificate program dedicated to the regulatory and legal aspects of sports wagering law and related integrity issues. Dan is an adjunct professor of law at the University of New Hampshire School of Law and the University of Miami School of Law, where he designed the nation’s first law school course programs centered on sports betting law and regulation.

Dan is also a seasoned litigator and appellate attorney. He is AV-Rated (the highest level attainable) by Martindale-Hubbell. Dan is a 1991 graduate of Hofstra University School of Law, where he graduated with distinction (in the top 2% of his graduating class) and was the Notes and Comments Editor of the Hofstra Law Review. Dan began his legal career as the judicial law clerk for the Honorable Jacob Mishler, a federal district court judge and the former chief judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Upon the conclusion of his one-year clerkship, Dan joined the New York office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, where he was a member of the Business and Securities Litigation Department (which was the nation’s largest law firm practice group devoted exclusively to the practice of federal securities litigation).

Daniel Wallach Opens the Country’s First Sports Betting-Focused Law Firm

Hallandale Beach, Florida, February 18, 2019

Daniel Wallach Speaks at U.S. Sports Betting Policy Summit on Capitol Hill

Washington, DC, November 15, 2018

Wallach Legal founder Daniel Wallach was one of the panelists at the U.S. Sports Betting Policy Summit held at the Dirksen Senate Office in Washington, D.C. on November 15, 2018. The event convened government officials, legal professionals, league representatives, and sports industry experts to discuss the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s Murphy v. NCAA decision, including the proper regulatory and integrity frameworks, insights into state efforts thus far, and the possibility of federal legislation. For additional information about the event, click here.

Daniel Wallach Launches the UNH School of Law Sports Wagering and Integrity Program, the Nation’s First Law School Certificate Program Dedicated to Sports Betting Regulation

Concord, New Hampshire, October 8, 2018

The University of New Hampshire School of Law has further established its leadership in innovative legal offerings, joining forces with Sportradar, the global leader in analyzing and leveraging the power of sports data, to offer the first-ever professional certificate in sports wagering and integrity. This collaboration partners a leading sports and entertainment law program at one of the nation's Top 100 law schools with the world's leading supplier of sports data and integrity services. Together, they will deliver the nation's first and only multi-semester law school program dedicated to the law and business of sports wagering and integrity.

The idea for the certificate comes from Daniel Wallach, one of the most prominent gaming attorneys in the United States. Wallach, the co-founding director of the program and one of its adjunct professors, has counseled major professional sports teams, sports betting operators, fantasy sports companies, racetracks, casinos, equipment manufacturers and other gaming industry participants on a wide spectrum of gaming-related matters. He is the media "go-to" person or all things sports betting and the law. Wallach also writes for Forbes and other publications and has mentored UNH Law students and supervised legal residencies. “The certificate program will be a pioneer in the transforming subject of sports and wagering integrity in the United States,” said Wallach. “With the repeal of the federal ban on state-authorized sports betting, the focus going forward will be on developing the legal and regulatory environment governing sports wagering. The paramount consideration in any future regulatory and legal framework should be on protecting the 'integrity' of the sporting events and ensuring that they remain free of match-fixing and other corruptive influences. This program will provide participants with the tools for understanding how the legal and integrity issues intersect.”

To learn more about the program click here.

Daniel Wallach Appears on “The Dan Patrick Show” to Talk About Legalized Sports Betting

Fort Lauderdale, FL, March 6, 2018

Daniel Wallach, a nationally recognized gaming and sports betting attorney, appeared on the “Dan Patrick Show” to talk about the Supreme Court’s delayed ruling in Christie v. NCAA and what that portends for the future of legalized sports betting in the United States. Dan correctly predicted that the Supreme Court would declare the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) would be declared unconstitutional. A clip of Dan’s interview can be seen here.

Daniel Wallach Addresses MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference

Boston, MA, February 26, 2018

Daniel Wallach, a nationally recognized authority on sports and gaming law, was a featured panelist at the 12th Annual Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan Sports Analytics Conference on February 23 in Boston. Dan, along with fellow panelists Chad Millman, Head of Media, The Action Network, Dr. Laila Mintas, PH.D., Deputy President, Sportradar, Jeff Ma, Senior Director of Analytics, Twitter, and Ted Olson, Partner, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, discussed the future of legalized sports betting in the United States. Their panel discussion, “How Legal Gambling Changes Sports: Contemplating a Post-Christie v. NCAA World,” took a look at the then-pending U.S. Supreme Court decision in Christie v. NCAA and speculated on the far-reaching implications that legal sports betting will have for fans and leagues alike.

With 24 separate panels and over 3,500 attendees, the conference, presented by sports network ESPN, featured an array of luminaries from the business of sports and, yes, even politics. Former President Barack Obama spoke at the conference, as did Tampa Bay Lighting Chairman Jeff Vinik, Steve Ballmer, Los Angeles Clippers Owner, Gary Bettman, Commissioner of the NHL, and Kristen Mackie, Director of Strategy and Analytics with the NFL.

Daniel Wallach Appears on “The Dan LeBatard Show” to Discuss Legalized Sports Betting

Fort Lauderdale, FL, January 26, 2018

Daniel Wallach, a nationally recognized gaming and sports betting attorney, appeared on ESPN’s “Dan LeBatard Show” to discuss the prospects for sports betting legalization in the United States and the reasons behind the NBA’s shift on the issue. At the end of the interview, Dan LeBatard told Wallach that he “crushed” the interview. A clip of Dan’s interview can be seen here.

Daniel Wallach Conducts Media Briefing at Washington, DC’s National Press Club on the Eve of the U.S. Supreme Court Oral Argument in Christie v. NCAA

Washington, DC, December 1, 2017

In advance of the U.S. Supreme Court oral argument in Christie v. NCAA, nationally-recognized gaming and sports betting attorney Daniel Wallach was invited to speak at a media briefing to discuss the landmark case at Washington DC’s National Press Club. Dan joined such luminaries as Andrew Brandt and Dan Shapiro to discuss the critical issues related to this seminal case and provide a proper legal and economic context. For coverage of the media briefing, click here.

Daniel Wallach Speaks at Capitol Hill Briefing About Impact of the Christie v. NCAA Case

Washington, DC, November 29, 2017

“The Future of Sports Gambling in the U.S.” was a highly anticipated and hugely informational event hosted at the Russell Senate Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The event convened government officials, legal professionals, league representatives, and sports industry experts to discuss the impact of the Supreme Court’s impending decision in Christie vs. NCAA will have on the sports landscape. Insightful discussion was provided by range of thought leaders including, Ted Leonsis, members of Congress, league representatives from the NBA, and sports betting legal expert Daniel Wallach. A detailed summary of the event can be found here, while a video of Mr. Wallach’s panel, “Analysis and Impact of Christie v. NCAA” is posted here.

Daniel Wallach Interviewed by C-Span About the Daily Fantasy Sports Industry

Fort Lauderdale, Florida. October 11, 2015

Daniel Wallach, a nationally recognized gaming and sports betting attorney, appeared on C-Span to talk about congressional and state-level inquiries into the fantasy sports industry following allegations that industry employees were accessing customer information to compete in contests on rival fantasy sports sites. A clip of Dan’s interview with host Ylan Mui can be seen here.

Daniel Wallach Appears on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” to Talk About Legalized Sports Betting

Fort Lauderdale, FL, July 2, 2015

Daniel Wallach, a nationally recognized gaming and sports betting attorney, appeared on the CNBC’s “Power Lunch” program to discuss the prospects for legalized sports betting in the United States against the backdrop of New Jersey’s federal court case challenging the federal ban. A clip of Dan’s interview with “Power Lunch” host Tyler Mathison can be seen here.

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