christopher soriano – Duane Morris Gaming Law

July 20, 2018July 20, 2018 by Duane Morris

Gaming in New York and Beyond: Looking to the Future

Duane Morris LLP will present “Gaming in New York and Beyond – Looking to the Future,” to be held on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 at the firm’s New York office.

In the wake of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), states now have the ability to legalize and regulate sports betting. Duane Morris has assembled a panel of gaming industry veterans and lawyers to help you understand the opportunities and challenges in this new era of gaming in New York and beyond. Partner Christopher Soriano and associates Adam Berger and Samantha Haggerty will be panelists.

For more information or to register, please visit the event page on the Duane Morris website.

February 2, 2018October 17, 2018 by Duane Morris

Christopher Soriano discusses sports gambling on Chuck and Julie

Duane Morris partner Christopher Soriano was a guest on the Chuck and Julie radio show on 710 KNUS, discussing the Supreme Court case that would allow expanded sports gambling all over the United States.

April 28, 2017April 28, 2017 by Duane Morris

Real Sports Experts and Fantasy Sports

John Brennan, a staff writer for The Record, was a panelist for Duane Morris’ event “The Future of Sports Betting” on April 27, moderated by partner Christopher Soriano. Mr. Brennan’s column today, about the notorious poor luck of professional sportswriters and sports executives at fantasy leagues in their own sports, mentioned the event, sharing a story told by panelist Andrew Brandt of ESPN. The firm thanks Mr. Brennan and Mr. Brandt for their participation in the event.

January 20, 2017January 20, 2017 by Duane Morris

Duane Morris Partner Christopher Soriano Featured on ESPN In The Gate Podcast

Duane Morris partner Christopher Soriano of the Cherry Hill office appeared on a recent broadcast of the ESPN In the Gate podcast, speaking about the future of horse race wagering. Mr. Soriano’s segment starts at about the 15 minute mark.

January 3, 2017January 3, 2017 by Duane Morris

Duane Morris Hosts “High-Stakes Games: Betting on Sports” Roundtable

Duane Morris, the Sports Business and Leadership Association and the Sports Lawyers Association will be hosting the roundtable discussion, “High-Stakes Games: Betting on Sports,” on Thursday, January 26, 2017 in Miami, Florida. This in-depth roundtable discussion will focus on the key issues and high stakes of sports betting and will feature sports and gaming industry executives, lawyers and pro-team executives. Duane Morris partner Christopher L. Soriano, of the firm’s Cherry Hill office, will moderate the discussion.

Featured Speakers:

Eric Frank, Director, Legal Affairs, Amaya
Myles Pistorius, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Miami Dolphins

Topics to be discussed include:

The current state of sports betting in the United States
New developments in gaming law
The pro team’s view on expanding sports betting
Online and offshore wagering on games

Duane Morris Sports Practice Advantage^SM
Duane Morris attorneys have extensive experience representing clients doing business in sports. Whether pursuing new opportunities or investments, enforcing contracts or agreements or protecting clients’ rights, the firm’s lawyers understand the unique issues presented by operating in the industry, including the importance of establishing and maintaining relationships, controlling sensitive information, maintaining privacy and confidentiality and achieving goals in tight time frames.

About the Sports Business and Leadership Association

The Sports Business and Leadership Association (“SBLA”) is a non-profit charitable organization whose members are professionals working in the sports business industry. The SBLA’s core mission is to organize an affinity group of legal professionals working in the sports business industry and to educate them on trending sports business issues and concerns. The SBLA’s goal is to raise money to provide underprivileged children with the financial means to attend a summer sports camp at a university (the “SBLA Scholarship Program”).

About the Sports Lawyers Association

The Sports Lawyers Association (SLA) is a nonprofit, international, professional organization whose common goal is the understanding, advancement and ethical practice of sports law. There are more than 1,000 current members: practicing lawyers, law educators, law students and other professionals with an interest in law relating to professional and amateur sports.

November 21, 2016 by Duane Morris

Duane Morris Attorneys Christopher Soriano and Adam Berger to present at NJ State Bar Webinar

Duane Morris attorneys Christopher Soriano and Adam Berger of the firm’s Cherry Hill office will present a webinar, “2016: A Year to Hold’em or Fold’em,” hosted by the NJ State Bar on December 9, 2016. The webinar will offer retrospective on this year’s key legal issues in the gaming industry.

Topics to be discussed include:

The recent decision shooting down sports betting in casinos
Impact of the North Jersey gaming referendum on the future of the racing industry and on the Atlantic City casino market
Online gaming developments
Fantasy sports legislation/regulation
Issues surrounding the potential closing of Monmouth Racetrack

To register for the webinar, please visit the NJSBA website.

March 18, 2016 by Duane Morris

Can You Get Busted for Your Bracket? Duane Morris Partner Christopher Soriano on Office Pools, Fantasy Sports and All Things Gaming Law

Duane Morris partner Christopher Soriano of the firm’s Cherry Hill office appeared on a recent broadcast of the “Wagner & Winick on the Law” radio program, during which he joined co-hosts Dean Mitchel Winick and Professor Stephen Wagner, both of Monterey College of Law, to discuss the interplay of federal and state laws in the United States related to regulating gambling and how many of these laws are outdated. A sampling of the topics discussed include Internet gaming, office brackets, fantasy sports, casinos and the lottery.

Within the context of the NCAA March Madness Tournament, Mr. Soriano provided insights on the gaming law implications of office bracket tournaments, which, as in most instances where people put in money on the results of a sporting event, are illegal for the most part. Mr. Soriano also commented on the developing area of fantasy sports and the important distinction to be drawn between games of skill and games of chance. For example, the traditional season-long fantasy sports contests are considered legal because skill is involved; while daily fantasy contests have been viewed as being illegal games of chance. Therefore, where is the line between when something is a contest of skill and when it is a contest of chance?

To listen to the radio program in its entirety, please visit the Recent Podcasts, Webcasts and Audio section on the Duane Morris website.

February 19, 2016February 19, 2016 by Duane Morris

Duane Morris Partner Christopher Soriano Quoted in Law360

Duane Morris partner Christopher Soriano in the firm’s Cherry Hill office was quoted in a February 18, 2016 Law360 article (“3rd Circ. Puts Gambling Ban Constitutionality Back On Table“) detailing the 12-judge Third Circuit panel hearing discussing New Jersey’s efforts to legalize sports betting. This is the third time the appeals court has looked at the issue. Mr. Soriano discussed three possible outcomes: 1) the court could hold that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) is constitutional and N.J.’s partial repeal violates it, resulting in no sports betting; 2) the court could find PASPA constitutional but that the state has complied with the act in its partial repeal, resulting in unregulated sports betting in N.J. casinos and racetracks; or 3) the court could determine that PASPA is unconstitutional and therefore regulated sports betting would be allowed in the state.

Mr. Soriano’s blog post on the hearing can also be found here.

April 29, 2015 by Duane Morris

Duane Morris Partner Christoper Soriano to Speak at the 6th Forum on US Online Gaming

Duane Morris partner Christopher Soriano will be a speaker at the 6th Forum on US Online Gaming to be held on May 12-14, 2015, at the DoubleTree Suites by Hilton in New York City. Mr. Soriano will be a speaker for the “Pre-Forum Master Class: Interstate Gaming: How Can Cross-Border Capability Improve Liquidity?” on May 12 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

March 18, 2015March 18, 2015 by Duane Morris

Video Gaming Bill Reintroduced in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania House Bill 808, introduced this week, would authorize video gaming machines for video poker, bingo, keno and other games in establishments with valid liquor licenses, such as restaurants, bars, taverns, hotels or clubs, in Pennsylvania. Similar legislation was introduced last year, and we provided an analysis of that bill here. In addition to providing an overview of the legislation, this Alert highlights the many similarities and distinct differences between House Bill 808 and last year’s legislation.

What’s Authorized

Licensed establishments with less than 2,500 square feet would be permitted up to five video gaming terminals. One additional terminal would be permitted for every additional 500 square feet, up to a maximum of 10 terminals. In comparison, last year’s legislation authorized up to only three machines at an establishment.

Maximum wagers are held to $2.50 with a maximum payout of $500 and a payout percentage of 85 percent. The only change from last year’s legislation is a reduction from $1,000 to $500 on the maximum payout.

To read the full text of this Alert, please visit the Duane Morris website.