Leadership Appointments and Exits Reshape Compliance Roles in iGaming, Crypto, and Prediction Markets

Legal and compliance roles led this week's shifts across gaming and crypto organizations, with one firm adding bench strength while prediction market and gambling support entities adjusted senior positions.

Ifrah Law Adds Six Professionals and New Managing Partner

Ifrah Law recruited six professionals with backgrounds in iGaming regulation, litigation, compliance, and operations. The Washington, D.C. firm appointed Michelle Cohen as managing partner and promoted Sara Dalsheim to counsel. It cited strong demand for defense against class actions and mass arbitrations.

The new hires are Sondra Grigsby, member, a trial lawyer with more than 16 years of experience from Kasowitz LLP; Andrew Snell, compliance counsel, previously acting legal and compliance manager for a Malta-based online casino group; Jerin Horton, chief operating officer, with more than eight years of law firm management experience; Halina Bereday, associate, a former federal law clerk from Norton Rose Fulbright; Nicholas Velez, associate, from Lowenstein Sandler and with six years in the Marine Corps Reserve; and Jessica Hawkins, paralegal, from Sodexo.

Founding Member Jeff Ifrah stated that the industry faces an increase in high-stakes legal challenges. Cohen added that the new professionals bring experience from the courtroom, government, private practice and inside the gaming industry. SBC Americas collected these and the other appointments noted below.

Reported Exit at Polymarket and Appointments at Crypto.com and NCPG

Polymarket fired Chief Marketing Officer Matthew Modabber after an internal probe, the New York Post reported, citing unnamed sources. Modabber became CMO in January 2024 and was the company's 11th employee. The review followed public controversies, including a Wall Street Journal report that his team allegedly built a fake webpage for staged videos of phony trades. That report prompted an ongoing Commodity Futures Trading Commission investigation.

Crypto.com named Mohammed Mortajine chief compliance officer. He previously held compliance leadership roles at Western Union, ACI Worldwide, and Paysafe, overseeing programs spanning more than 200 countries and territories. Mortajine succeeds Antonio Alvarez, who left to join Binance. The hire occurs as the House Oversight Committee seeks records on prediction market safeguards.

The National Council on Problem Gambling appointed Charles H. Jeffers II interim executive director, effective immediately. He replaces Heather Maurer, who resigned after criticism of Kalshi's $2m, two-year investment. Regulators in Michigan and Ohio and nonprofits in Nevada and Washington left the organization over the deal. Vetted Solutions will lead the permanent executive director search, which begins in January 2027.