for states throughout the U . S . “ I dug in and learned a new area of law .”
Then the Covid-19 pandemic arrived and complicated any plans to expand amenities . “ People were hesitant to dive into a crowded atmosphere .”
The pandemic also complicated the law practice .
“ It hindered me from traveling to other large offices for face time ,” Peacock says . “ At the same time , we have the technical capabilities to still meet with attorneys out there , down in satellite offices in Northfield , New Jersey . We still have limited travel . We ’ re stuck in our own corner of the world down here . It ’ s different than the way it was done in the past . With gaming law , you travel a lot whether to Las Vegas or overseas . Most of that has not happened . We have online presentations instead . But we ’ re still busy .”
For Peacock , the big obstacle was transitioning from a real estate lawyer to largely a gaming lawyer , learning a whole new area .
“ I had to teach myself statutes of legalized gaming all over , the subject and procedurals , the regulators in each state ,” he says .
Another hurdle was meeting the expectations of a variety of personalities , learning the writing style from each partner , he says .
He credits his father as a mentor , but also the myriad number of lawyers he associated with .
“ I ’ ve had the good fortune to work with wellrespected lawyers along the way ,” he says . “ But Timothy Lowry is the current mentor for me . Not only is he my supervisor but a friend of mine .”
Peacock has some advice for new lawyers in the gaming sphere : If you have the time and financial means , get a master ’ s in gaming law . “ You have a leg up entering a law firm . There ’ s only a handful of deep specialties in gaming law .” — Bill Sokolic
Moving iGaming Law
Brandt Iden
Head of U . S . Government Affairs , Sportradar
B
randt Iden brought uncommon perspective to his panel last month at the Winter Meeting of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States ( NCLGS ). There representing Sportradar as its head of U . S . government affairs , Iden came to that position and the gaming industry after serving in Michigan ’ s House of Representatives from 2014 to 2020 .
During his legislative tenure , Iden served as chairman of the Regulatory Reform and Ways & Means Committees , and was named one of Michigan ’ s “ 50 Names to Know in Government ” by Crain ’ s Detroit Business . Although , what he is best known for , and what led him to the business side of gaming , is serving as the architect and lead sponsor of Michigan ’ s Lawful Internet Gaming Act — the legislation which paved the way for legalized online gaming , sports betting , advanced deposit wagering for parimutuel racing and fantasy sports contests in the state . Notably , this legislation regulates online gaming for both commercial and tribal operators , a unique feat in today ’ s gaming landscape . Looking back , Iden admits he had no idea what he was getting into . “ I saw revenue opportunities , had an interest in new approaches to player protection , and , frankly , I am a gambler ; but I did not realize how hard it was actually going to be to get this done ,” he says .
The diverse set of stakeholders and paradigms presented interesting challenges . However , in the end , he did get it done . And in 2018 , his bill made it to then-Governor Rick Snyder for signature , only to be vetoed in the final days of the legislative session .
“ That was a major blow ,” says Iden . But , as the saying goes , if at first you don ’ t succeed , try , try again . Iden was forced to start all over , educating a new set of legislators and a new governor about the opportunities and safeguards of online gaming . There were plenty of days where he felt like negotiations weren ’ t going anywhere , but , “ ultimately we crafted better legislation ,” he says , “ and passed the bill with a large , bipartisan majority . That was a great feeling on the heels of our first loss , only a year earlier .”
Over those four to five years of policymaking , Iden realized he had a real passion for the industry . He found great mentors in Nick Menas of The StarsGroup at the time ( now with Seminole Hard Rock Digital ), who brought him a lingering iGaming bill from the Michigan Senate when he became chairman of the House Regulatory Reform Committee , and Mike Neubecker , then president and COO of MGM Detroit , who walked him through all the economics of the industry and helped him to understand the impacts of varying tax rates .
The recent surge in legalized sports wagering coincided with Iden ’ s move to Sportradar , where he has spent his time at the forefront of states with enabling legislation . He ’ s excited to see this dovetailing with other developments like cashless wagering , iCasinos and conversations around blockchain technology .
“ This is the work that will pave the way for the future of our industry ,” he says . “ It ’ s not just about crafting legislation that makes sense for today ; we have to build it for tomorrow .”
As he looks ahead , Iden is enthusiastic about the industry ’ s current focus on diversity and technology , both issues he feels will be critical to its evolution .
“ The demographics of our customers are changing , and we ’ re competing more and more for talent ; these issues are central to the success of gaming in the U . S .” Speaking to his fellow Emerging Leaders , Iden says , “ As we grow , and the industry grows , our focus should be on what we can do , this class , to create a meaningful legacy — to make this the point of change we can look back on in 20 years and know that we made a positive impact on our industry .” — Keli Elkins , Director of Corporate Communications and Marketing , The Innovation Group
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