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Fanatics Betting and Gaming has appointed Alex Smith as Chief Legal Officer, giving him oversight of legal, regulatory, compliance, and government affairs for the sports betting and iGaming division.
An Internal Promotion Five Years in the Making
Smith joined Fanatics in 2021 as VP of legal and regulatory compliance, making him one of the company’s earliest hires in the regulated gaming space. Before Fanatics, he held regulatory roles at FanDuel. In his new position he reports directly to CEO Matt King.
King framed the appointment as a natural progression rather than an outside search.
“Alex was one of our first hires, and he helped build the legal and regulatory apparatus that has allowed us to launch products rapidly in legal sports betting, iCasino, and prediction markets. As we continue to grow, Alex is the perfect person to lead our legal and regulatory functions into the future.”
The promotion comes at a significant point for Fanatics. The company has expanded rapidly across US sports betting markets and entered iCasino and prediction markets, each carrying distinct licensing and compliance obligations across dozens of state and federal jurisdictions. Having a CLO who built the compliance infrastructure from the ground up reduces transition risk as those obligations multiply.
Sara Tait Joins from the Regulatory Side
Alongside the Smith appointment, Fanatics hired Sara Tait as senior vice president and head of legal and regulated industries. Tait previously served as Executive Director of the Indiana Gaming Commission, giving her direct experience of the regulatory processes Fanatics must navigate as a licensee.
She will be responsible for managing the company’s relationships with federal and state regulators and maintaining its licences and registrations with government bodies.
Smith commented on what Tait brings to the team.
“Sara is a well-respected former gaming regulator who also has experience in the private sector, making her the ideal choice to lead critical legal and regulatory efforts. The legal and regulatory landscape for sports betting, iCasino, and prediction markets is constantly changing, and having someone who has been on both sides of the regulatory landscape will be invaluable to us as we continue our growth trajectory.”
Regulatory Complexity Drives the Hiring Logic
The dual appointment reflects the compliance weight that comes with operating across multiple product verticals in the US. Sports betting, iCasino, and prediction markets each fall under different regulatory frameworks, with state-level variation layered on top. Prediction markets in particular remain in active legal dispute in several jurisdictions, with operators facing challenges from state gaming regulators asserting that event contracts constitute unlicensed sports betting.
Fanatics is not alone in reinforcing its legal and regulatory function at the executive level. As US iGaming licensing requirements deepen and prediction market litigation advances through state and federal courts, operators across the industry are finding that regulatory affairs can no longer sit below the C-suite. For context on the broader prediction markets regulatory environment, see the Massachusetts AG’s lawsuit against Kalshi and Robinhood’s federal action against Massachusetts gaming regulators — two cases that illustrate the contested legal terrain operators like Fanatics are now navigating.
With Smith holding the CLO title and Tait managing day-to-day regulatory relationships, Fanatics has structured a two-layer approach: strategic legal leadership internally, and a direct regulatory relationship manager with proven experience on the government side. How quickly that structure is tested will depend in part on how prediction market litigation develops through 2026, and whether additional states move to assert jurisdiction over event contracts. The DGA’s position on prediction markets illustrates that this is a global regulatory question, not just a US one.
Source: Fanatics Betting and Gaming
