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How Will Black Friday Affect Poker Agents?

Friday, April 15th, 2011 is known as Black Friday for online poker players.  It was the day that the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) charged a group of online poker owners, including the founders of Full Tilt, Poker Stars, and Absolute Poker with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, illegal gambling offenses, and money laundering.

While the action was a huge disturbance and inconvenience for millions of online poker players who had money in their online playing accounts, I wondered if it would affect poker agents who represent the best poker celebrities with regards to their marketing and endorsement opportunities.  People like Lars Kollind.

Kollind has already dealt with government action in the past.  His formerly successful poker club was shut down when Swedish legislation was passed, which disallowed the operation of such establishments.  From there, Kollind went on to start Vegas Group, which began as a small agency for Swedish poker professionals.  Vegas Group turned into Poker Icons, which is now the largest poker agency in Europe.

How will Kollind and Poker Icons adjust to the hit that many poker sites just took via the DoJ?  These sites contribute to a large portion of Poker Icons’ revenues based on the money they pump into the company’s poker clients.  What will fill the gap that will undoubtedly be left when many sites have to spend less on marketing.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.