CJ Fisher

Practice Areas

Co-Chair of the firm's Gaming Department, C.J. concentrates his practice in all aspects of gaming law, including licensing, regulatory and compliance matters.

He has been at the forefront of the expansion of legalized and regulated sports betting in the United States, regularly representing and advising sports betting and media clients in jurisdictions across the country.

C.J.'s representations span a range of gaming industry clients in both the brick-and-mortar and internet/mobile spaces. That includes sports betting operators and service providers, including data, odds and risk management providers; media companies and internet gaming/sports betting marketing affiliates; internet gaming operators and service providers; esports companies and service providers; casino licensees; gaming equipment manufacturers and suppliers; private equity firms and other investors; gaming and non-gaming vendors; various technology providers; and professional sports leagues.

In the burgeoning area of sports betting, C.J. has handled licensing, compliance and regulatory approvals in jurisdictions across the United States, including Arkansas, Colorado, District of Columbia, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia and various tribal gaming authorities.

C.J. has also handled gaming matters in numerous domestic and international jurisdictions outside of the sports betting space, and has represented casino licensees before various domestic gaming regulatory agencies. Those include the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and the New York State Gaming Facility Location Board.

C.J.’s experience and services in the gaming field encompass a variety of areas, including license applications; compliance programs and ongoing regulatory compliance; regulatory and compliance investigations; enforcement actions; regulatory due diligence; competitive RFPs and licensing processes; emerging issues (e.g. esports, fantasy sports, skill-based gaming, internet gaming, sports betting); operational matters and regulatory approvals; legislative and regulatory changes; business structuring; transactional and contract matters, including regulatory approvals; and hearings and other matters before regulatory agencies.

C.J. writes frequently on gaming-related topics, including internet gaming, sports betting, esports, daily fantasy sports, virtual sports and skill-based gaming, and has been featured in the American Gaming Lawyer, iGB, iGB North America, Bloomberg, Global Gaming Business Magazine, Law360, Payments Compliance, IAGR Media, LexisNexis Practical Guidance, IAGA Expert Insights, Casino Journal, US Betting Report, Office Hours, Casino.org, ROI NJ, Legal Sports Report and Action Network. He has also spoken extensively on gaming-related topics in conjunction with the International Masters of Gaming Law, National Council on Problem Gambling, International Association of Gaming Advisors, SiGMA and New Jersey State Bar Association, among other organizations.

Career

Prior to joining Fox Rothschild, C.J. was an associate at a Philadelphia law firm where he represented corporations, businesses and individuals in complex litigation and commercial matters. While in law school, he was a member of the Temple Law Review. C.J. also volunteered to assist in the representation of NFL athletes, entertainers and musicians in the Philadelphia region, and was a legal services coordinator for the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (PVLA).

Prior to entering the legal field, he worked as a financial analyst for the Lockheed Martin Corporation. While pursuing undergraduate degrees in Finance and International Business, C.J. studied abroad at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

Professional Memberships

International Association of Gaming Advisors, Board of Trustees | New Jersey State Bar Association, Casino Law Section | Atlantic County Bar Association | International Masters of Gaming Law – General Member, Young Members Committee | Parish of Saint Monica (Atlantic City, NJ), Finance Council | Parkinson Life Center of Southern New Jersey, Board of Directors

Personal

Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude) | Pennsylvania State University (B.S.)

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Bar Admissions: Pennsylvania, New Jersey

Work Highlights

- Served as lead gaming and regulatory counsel in the United States for Sportradar, the global leader in delivering sports data and content to media companies, sports leagues, fantasy games and the sports betting industry. providing guidance on various regulatory, compliance and operational matters and successfully securing licensing and regulatory approvals in jurisdictions across the United States, allowing Sportradar’s entry into the United States sports betting market.

- Served as gaming and regulatory counsel to Yahoo Sports in conjunction with its multiyear partnership with BetMGM as its official digital media sports partner and related licensing and regulatory approvals in New Jersey.

- Represented Team Rankings, a leader is sports picks, predictions and data, concerning gaming transactional matters and securing licensing and regulatory approvals in New Jersey and other U.S. jurisdictions.

- Represented Hard Rock International in successfully responding to the City of Rockford’s (Illinois) competitive Request for Proposals, in which Hard Rock was selected as the winning proponent, clearing the way for Hard Rock to develop and operate Hard Rock Casino Rockford pending licensure from the Illinois Gaming Board.

- Advised Wynn Resorts, Limited in connection with its adjudicatory hearing before the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in 2019, and prepared related regulatory filings and a white paper demonstrating corporate policy and organizational changes and ongoing suitability.

- Represented Hard Rock Atlantic City, LLC and Boardwalk 1000, LLC in conjunction with their casino licensure before the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, and securing operational approvals in connection with the opening of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.

- Represented Hard Rock International in securing a Non-Remote Operating License and Ancillary Remote Operating License from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, and preparing related licensing applications.

- Represented Hard Rock International in successfully responding to competitive RFPs in several international jurisdictions, including Catalonia (Barcelona, Spain) and Ottawa, Ontario, and preparing related disclosures and applications. Hard Rock was selected as the winning proponent in both jurisdictions, and is currently operating a casino in Ottawa that is being developed into “Hard Rock Ottawa”.

- Drafted Amended Transactional Waiver Petition on behalf of The Stars Group (f/k/a Amaya Inc.), resulting in the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement authorizing The Stars Group to operate the PokerStars and Full Tilt brands in New Jersey. The approval enabled the entry of the world’s largest poker business into the United States.

- Successfully represented Empire Resorts, Inc.and related entities in submitting an application and response to the New York State Gaming Facility Location Board's Request for Applications to Develop and Operate a Gaming Facility in New York State, and presenting the project to the Board. The project was subsequently awarded one of the four available Gaming Facility licenses within New York State, and Empire is currently the operator of Resorts World Catskills.

- Represented The Stars Group in its acquisition of the parent company of the Rational Group, the owner and operator of the PokerStars and Full Tilt poker brands, for $4.9 billion, including performing all regulatory gaming due diligence and authoring a white paper outlining internet gaming regulations in various foreign jurisdictions. The transaction made The Stars Group the world’s largest publicly held online poker company.

- Represented MGM Resorts International and related entities before the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in connection with MGM’s successful suitability hearing, allowing MGM to pursue the development of a casino resort in Springfield, Massachusetts.

- Represented Hard Rock Atlantic City, LLC before the New Jersey Casino Control Commission in connection with the issuance of a Statement of Compliance to Hard Rock, i.e., a determination that Hard Rock is qualified under the New Jersey Casino Control Act and may pursue casino gaming opportunities within the State of New Jersey.

- Represented MGM Resorts International before the New Jersey Casino Control Commission in connection with MGM’s successful qualification hearing and reacquisition of its interest in the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.

- Represented GTECH USA, LLC and related entities in connection with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement’s approval of GTECH’s acquisition of International Game Technology and IGT for $6.4 billion.