Sean McGuinness is highly experienced in gaming regulatory matters, and represents clients throughout the USA. "He's very responsive, quick on his feet and practical in his approach, and he provides very good solutions." "He gets the job done in a timely fashion and he has excellent relationships with the regulators." "Sean's superb reputation at the (Nevada) Gaming Control Board proves invaluable in getting things done smoothly." - Chambers USA
Overview
Sean McGuinness is highly experienced in gaming regulatory matters, and represents clients throughout the USA. "He's very responsive, quick on his feet and practical in his approach, and he provides very good solutions." "He gets the job done in a timely fashion and he has excellent relationships with the regulators." "Sean's superb reputation at the (Nevada) Gaming Control Board proves invaluable in getting things done smoothly." - Chambers USA
Industry
Experience
- Sean McGuinness practices in the firm’s Gaming Industry Team. His practice focuses primarily on commercial gaming and sports betting matters in Nevada, Colorado, Iowa and Mississippi, as well as tribal gaming matters. He also has experience with gaming bankruptcy matters. Sean also represents banking clients with respect to public financing transactions in the State of Nevada.
- Sean has represented clients with licensing and regulatory matters before the Nevada Gaming Control Board, the Nevada Gaming Commission, the Colorado Division of Gaming, the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission, the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission, the Mississippi Gaming Commission and the National Indian Gaming Commission. He has also participated in gaming related matters in other jurisdictions such as Arizona, California, Canada, Hungary, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Virginia, Switzerland, Tinian and Washington. Sean has represented clients in gaming bankruptcy matters, including the Herbst Gaming, Station Casinos, Fitzgeralds Gaming Corporation, the Aladdin Hotel and Casino, and the Resort at Summerlin proceedings.
- Sean is frequently asked to comment on the Commercial Gaming industry. Sean appeared on Nevada Newsmakers in November 2016 to discuss recent Gaming industry trends. He is also a regular pundit on the program. In 2011, Sean was featured in a Q&A with In Business Las Vegas (now Vegas Inc.) where he provided an overview of his practice and the Gaming Industry in Nevada.
- Prior to joining the firm, Sean practiced gaming law for 15 years at a law firm in their Reno, Las Vegas and Denver offices. Sean was Vice President and General Counsel for The Resort at Summerlin, which was owned by Swiss Casinos (1997-2001), and had a private gaming law practice in Mississippi (1994-1997) and served as Compliance Director for the Mississippi Gaming Commission (1992-1993). Sean got his start in the gaming industry as a law clerk for the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission.
- Sean is also experienced in communications law (FCC broadcast licensing and compliance). He has done work for radio stations in Colorado (KDEN, KNUS), Mississippi (WUMS, WUSM) and Nevada (KSVL).
Distinctions
- Martindale-Hubbell®
- AV®-Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
- Best Lawyers in America®
- Lawyer of the Year, Gaming Law (Denver), 2020, 2025
- Gaming Law, 2009-2025
- Super Lawyers®
- Mountain State Super Lawyers, “Top 100” – Gaming, 2007-2018
- Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business
- Gaming & Licensing, 2008-2017, 2021-2024
- The Irish Legal 100, 2023
- Business Today
- Top 10 Nationwide Gaming & Licensing Lawyers, 2023
Bar Admissions
- Nevada, 2001
- Colorado, 2000
- Mississippi, 1994
- Iowa, 1990
Education
- Drake University Law School, J.D., 1989
- Drake University, M.A., Journalism, 1989
- Drake University, B.A., Political Science/Religion, 1986
Associations
- American Bar Association
- Business Law Section
- Gaming Law Committee
- Past Chair
- Gaming Law Committee
- Business Law Section
- International Association of Gaming Advisors
- International Masters of Gaming Law
- IMGL Autumn Conference
- Co-Chair, Dublin, 2016
- IMGL Autumn Conference
- Colorado Bar Association
- Gaming Entertainment & Sports Section
- State Bar of Nevada
- Gaming Law Section
- Executive Committee, 2004-2016
- Gaming Law Section
- Iowa State Bar Association
- Mississippi Bar
- Gaming Law Section
- Denver Bar Association
- Member
- Clark County Bar Association
- Member
- Washoe County Bar Association
- Member
Papers, Presentations & Publications
Presentations
- Guest, "Gambling," Legal & Sportlitics Podcast, February 2024.
- Presenter, "IMGL Masterclass," National Council of Legislators From Gaming States Conference," Denver, CO, July 15, 2023.
- Moderator, "Antitrust and Regulatory Divestment: The Future of Consolidations," International Masters of Gaming Law Masterclass® at G2E, Las Vegas, Nev., October 2022.
- Moderator, "US/Canada Updates," International Masters of Gaming Law Conference, London, England, September 15, 2022.
- Speaker, “Legal Ethics and Data Privacy,” International Association of Gaming Advisors, Boston, MA, June 2022.
- Moderator, “Brick and Mortar Gaming in a Post-COVID World,” International Masters of Gaming Law 2021 Spring Conference, March 8, 2021.
- Panelist, “Regulating Online Gaming in Federal Countries: Challenges and Opportunities,” IMGL Masterclass, SBC Digital Latin America Conference, March 2, 2021.
- Speaker, “Sports Betting Jurisdictional Update – Colorado,” IMGL Masterclass, March 2021.
- Panelist, “Unanticipated Legal Vulnerabilities: How COVID-19 Unmasked New Areas of Risk,” G2E 2020 IAGA Best Practices Virtual Program, October 29, 2020.
- Panelist, “The Law of Regulated Gambling: An Intro for Business Lawyers,” American Bar Association, Webinar, September 18, 2020.
- Speaker, “Sports Betting: Latest Updates on US Regulation,” March 20, 2020.
- Panelist, “Conflicting Ethics,” International Masters of Gaming Law Masterclass® at G2E, Las Vegas, Nev., October 2019.
- Speaker, “The Highs and Lows of Marijuana Legalization Revisited,” International Association of Gaming Advisors, Half Moon Bay, Calif., June 2019.
- Panelist, “The Advertising of Games of Chance in Europe,” International Maters of Gaming Law Conference, New Orleans, La., March 2019.
- Panelist, “The Increasing Relevance of Technology in Regulation,” International Masters of Gaming Law Masterclass®, London, England, February 2019.
- Panelist, “Follow the Money (New Payment Technologies/Blockchain),” National Council of Legislators from Gaming States, New Orleans, La., January 2019.
- Panelist, “Gaming Law Basics for Business Lawyers,” American Bar Association Business Law Section, Austin, Texas, September 2018.
- Panelist, "General Data Protection Regulations," International Masters of Gaming Law Conference, Prague, Czech Republic, September 2018.
- Panelist, "State of Online Gaming in the US," National Council of Legislators from Gaming States Summer Meeting, Cleveland, Ohio, July 2018.
- Moderator, “Legal Ethics in the Era of Data Privacy and Data Breaches,” International Association of Gaming Advisors Summit, Macau, China, May 2018.
- Co-Presenter, “Technology makes Licensing and Background Investigations More Efficient,” National Tribal Gaming Commissioners/Regulators Conference, Northern Quest Resort Casino, Spokane, WA, March 2018.
- Panelist, “Internet Gaming and Sports Betting in Indian Country,” ABA/IMGL Gaming Law Minefield Conference, American Bar Association, Aria Resort & Casino Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, March 2018.
- Panelist, “The Highs and Lows of Marijuana Legalization Part II”, Global Gaming Expo, Las Vegas, Nevada October 2017.
- Moderator, "The Highs and Lows of Marijuana Legalization," International Association of Gaming Advisors Summit, New York, New York, June 2017.
- Panelist, "Normalization of Sports Betting - The Push for Decriminalization in Washington, D.C.," National Indian Gaming Association, San Diego, California, April 2017.
- Panelist, "If You Build It, They Will Come: Tips on Construction of Casino Resorts and Major Entertainment Complexes from Development to Dispute Resolution," ABA Business Law Section, New Orleans, Louisiana, April 2017.
- Panelist, "European/Global Gaming Effects of Brexit," IMGL Masterclass, ICE, London, England, February 2017.
- Featured Guest, "Nevada Newsmakers," hosted by Sam Shad, November 2016.
- Co-chair, International Masters of Gaming Law Conference, Dublin, Ireland, October 2016.
- Speaker, “What’s up in Ireland”, IMGL Conference, Dublin, Ireland, October 2016.
- Speaker, 10 Biggest Issues in Gaming Regulations: Best Practices for Existing Environments and New Jurisdictions, Saratoga Institute on Equine, Racing & Gaming Law; Saratoga Springs, NY, August 2016.
- Speaker, "Gaming Growing Everywhere But Here", IMGL Spring Conference, San Francisco, April 2016.
- Speaker, “The World Regulatory View and its Impact on Casinos and the Gaming Market in the United States”, Gaming Law Minefield, Las Vegas, February 2016.
- Speaker, "Reefer Madness," International Gaming Summit, June 3, 2015.
- Speaker, "Latest Developments in the Gaming World," IMGL Autumn Conference, 2014.
- Speaker, "Internet Gaming: Will the United States Ever Get It Right?," American Bar Association's 2014 Gaming Law Minefield, 2014.
- Speaker, "Regulatory Reform & Implementation," IMGL Autumn Conference, Oslo, Norway, 2013.
- Speaker, “Regulatory Reform & Implementation – Ongoing/New Efforts, Updates, and Successful Strategies,” IMGL Spring Conference, Montreal, Canada, 2013.
- Speaker, "How do Foreign Companies Navigate the U.S. Regulatory Process?,” IMGL Fall Conference, London, England, 2012
- Speaker, “The Many Faces of Gaming Bankruptcy Today,” State Bar of Nevada Annual Meeting, Kaua’i, HI, 2011
- Speaker, “Compliance: The Concept of the Application and the Limits,” IMGL Spring Conference, Napa Valley, CA 2011
- Speaker, “The Chips Are Down: Dealing With Casino Bankruptcy Cases,” 84th Annual National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges Meeting, New Orleans, LA 2010
- Speaker, "Ethics and the Gaming Industry," ABA 14th Annual Gaming Law Minefield, Las Vegas, NV, 2010.
- Speaker, "Gaming Law: Making Sure the Odds Are In Your Favor," Taglaw Autumn International Conference, Las Vegas, NV, 2009.
- Speaker, "Ethics and the Gaming Industry," ABA 13th Annual Gaming Law Minefield, Las Vegas, NV, 2009.
- Speaker, "Ethics and Gaming Law," Drake Law School Gaming Law Symposium, Des Moines, IA, 2008.
- Speaker, "Gaming Law for the Non-Gaming Lawyer," State Bar of Nevada Annual Meeting, Santa Barbara, CA, 2008.
- Speaker, "New Game and Associated Equipment Approval Process in Nevada," Lorman Gaming Law Seminar, Las Vegas, NV, 2008.
- Featured Guest, "Nevada Newsmakers," hosted by Sam Shad, July 25, 2007.
- Speaker, "Ethics and the Gaming Industry," ABA 11th Annual Gaming Law Minefield, Las Vegas, NV, 2007.
- Speaker, “Governance, Regulatory and Internal Control Issues Related to Indian Gaming,” Western Intergovernmental Audit Forum, Reno, NV, 2006.
- Speaker, "Gulf Coast Gaming Update," ABA Section of Business Law, Tampa, FL, 2006.
- Speaker, "Compliance," ABA 10th Annual Gaming Law Minefield, Las Vegas, NV, 2006.
- Speaker, "Gaming Issues: Regional Update and Internet Implications," ABA Section of Business Law, Nashville, TN, 2005.
- Speaker, "Compliance," State Bar of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, 2005.
- Speaker, "Washington's Rule Simplification Project," Northwest Gaming Law Summit, Seattle, WA, 2005.
- Speaker, "Gaming Bankruptcies," ABA Section of Business Law, Seattle, WA, 2004.
- Speaker, "Betting on the Home Team: College Sports Betting," ABA Section of Business Law, Atlanta, GA, 2004.
- Speaker, "Indian Gaming," State Bar of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2004.
- Speaker, "Gaming Law - Tribal Gaming," State Bar of Nevada Annual Meeting, Coronado, CA, 2004.
- Speaker, "Global Gaming Expo," Las Vegas, NV, 2003.
- Speaker, "Gaming Law: Progressive Regulatory Systems," Southern Gaming Summit, Biloxi, MS, 1996.
- Speaker, "Implementation of Gaming in New Jurisdictions," International Congress on Casino Regulation and Control, Locarno, Switzerland, 1993.
- Speaker, "Implementation of Riverboat Gaming in Iowa," Eighth International Conference on Risk & Gaming, London, England, 1990.
Publications
- Co-Author, "USA - Colorado," Gaming Law 2024, Chambers and Partners, December 11, 2024.
- Co-Author, "USA - Colorado," Gaming Law 2023, Chambers and Partners, November 28, 2023.
- Author, "Gambling Laws and Regulations USA - Iowa 2024," ICLG, November 11, 2023.
- Author, "Gambling Laws and Regulations USA - Iowa 2023," ICLG, December 7, 2022.
- Author, "United States - Colorado: Gambling Law," The Legal 500, October 2022.
- Author, "USA - Iowa: Gambling Laws and Regulations 2022," ICLG, November 18, 2021.
- Quoted, "Dubai World set to end 14-year CityCenter partnership with MGM Resorts," CDC Gaming Reports, September 8, 2021.
- Co-Author, “Aftershocks: How to Navigate Financials as Gaming Reopens,” Global Gaming Business Magazine, June 2020.
- Co-Author, "Chapter 5 - Corporate Reorganizations, Bankruptcy, and Restructuring," The Law of Regulated Gambling: A Practical Guide for Business Lawyers, American Bar Association, 2020.
- Co-Author, "Chapter 12 - Data Privacy Issues and GDPR," The Law of Regulated Gambling: A Practical Guide for Business Lawyers, American Bar Association, 2020.
- Author, “Chapter 41: USA – Iowa: Gambling 2020,” The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Gambling 2020, pages 237-240, November 11, 2019.
- Quoted, “Staying Competitive in a Crowded Legal Services Market,” Bloomberg Law, page 18, September 2019.
- Co-Author, "The Impact of GDPR on Attorneys and Law Firms in the United States," American Gaming Lawyer, 17-19, Autumn 2018.
- Quoted, “Lawsuit against the major sports leagues could be a tough case to prove,” SBC Americas, May 25, 2018.
- Co-Author, "Don't Run Afoul of Gaming Laws in Offering Sweepstakes and Contests," Docket, 06/05/2017.
- Quoted, "Ireland Could Gain From Brexit With Gambling Law Update," GamblingCompliance.com, February 2017.
- Co-Author, "What Lenders to Gaming Companies Should Know About Nevada Gaming Law," Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Gaming Booklet, 09/01/2016.
- Co-Author, "A Practical Guide for the Approval of New Games and Game Variations in Nevada," Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Gaming Booklet, 09/01/2016.
- Co-Author, "Obtaining a Non-Restricted Gaming License in Nevada," Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Gaming Booklet, 09/01/2016.
- Co-Author, "Obtaining a Restricted Gaming License in Nevada," Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Gaming Booklet, 09/01/2016.
- Co-Author, "Entering the United States gaming market: Options in the West," European Gaming Lawyer, April 2015.
- Co-Author, "GAMING IN COLORADO: Then and Now," Casino Lawyer, October 2014.
- Co-Author, "Gaming Regulatory Jurisdiction: The Dual Criteria of Location Acceptability and Applicant Suitability," Drake Law Review, April 2014.
- Co-Author, "In and Out of Bankruptcy: Weathering the Financial Storm in Gaming," Nevada Gaming Lawyer, 09/20/2011.
- Author, "In and Out of Bankruptcy: Weathering the Financial Storm in Gaming," 09/15/2011.
- Mentioned, "Executive Snapshot, QA: Sean McGuinness," In Business Las Vegas, February 2011.
- Author, "Gaming Policy Models, Pt. II: Regulatory Organization," Casino Enterprise Management, 08/25/2010.
- Author, "Gaming Policy Models, Pt. II: Regulatory Organization," Casino Enterprise Management Magazine, 08/16/2010.
- Author, "Representation of Management Companies and Vendors in Indian Country," Inside the Minds: Emerging Issues in Tribal-State Relations, 2009.
- Author, "The State of the United States Gaming Industry," Canadian Gaming Lawyer, May 2009.
- Co-Author, "Casino Bankruptcy Law and the Current Economic Crisis," Casino Enterprise Management Magazine, 03/09/2009.
- Author, "Casino Bankruptcy Law and the Current Economic Crisis," 03/02/2009.
- Author, "They Call It Gaming," Business Law Today, July/August 2006.
- Author, "Indian Gaming: An Overview," Nevada Gaming Law Section Newsletter, April 2005.
- Quoted, "Gambling on Casino Cases," ABA Journal, April 2004.
- Author, "Iowa Jurisdictional Update," Gaming Lawyer, 2001 and 2002.
- Co-Author, "Colorado chapter in "Gaming Law: Jurisdictional Comparisons"," 2nd Edition 2014 (European Lawyer Reference publication by Thomson Reuters).
Civic Involvement
- Irish Network Nevada (2013-present)
- Founding Board Member
- Irish Network USA (2017-present)
- Regional Vice President (California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Washington)
- CelticFest Mississippi, Jackson, MS board member and past president (1993-1997)
- Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado (2016-present)