Updated, January 7 at 8:55 a.m.
Once restricted to Las Vegas, Atlantic City or Monte Carlo, casinos are now operating in many cities nationally and internationally. The expansion of gaming has increased the need for lawyers with the legal skills to maneuver through the globalized gaming industry.
Lawyers are dealing with government regulations, the regulatory obligations of casinos and gaming tax revenues. But hiring a gaming attorney isn’t easy. Gaming lawyers are a rare breed.
Dan Hamilton, dean of UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law, is trying to change that by training more gaming lawyers. To meet the ever increasing demand, Boyd Law School is launching a Masters of Laws in gaming law and regulation in August.
Hamilton told KNPR it’s the first of its kind in the nation, giving students access to the gaming resources and legal talent at UNLV and in Nevada. The program is offered to both foreign and domestic students who hold an existing Juris Doctor Law degree.
Hamilton said the program is designed to be completed in a year, with courses on federal gaming law and Indian gaming as well as principals of casino and gaming management.
Hamilton's announcement of a new gaming law program was met with praise from the American Gaming Association. Sara Rayme, senior vice president of public affairs, said the program was an opportunity for law students to gain a better understanding of the myriad of regulations the industry deals with.
"From rules that regulate the shipping of slot machines to requirements for licensing a wide range of employees, students will quickly discover that gaming overcomes hurdles unlike any other industry," Rayme said.
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Dan Hamilton, dean of UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law
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