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“You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” 1 The Eagles’ celebrated lyrics from the song Hotel California captures, with uncanny precision, the dilemma confronting professional athletes who wish to compete at the highest level of organised sports. The mandatory arbitration clause, often hidden in entry forms and federation regulations, presents athletes with a proverbial Hobson’s choice: accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (‘CAS’), or sacrifice a professional career altogether.