Butler Snow LLP

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Sean McGuinness is highly experienced in gaming regulatory matters, and represents clients throughout the USA. 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 also 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 Butler Snow, 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).

He is recognized by Chambers USA for nationwide Gaming & Licensing, Best Lawyers in America® (including as Lawyer of the Year, Gaming Law (Denver), 2020), Mountain Super Lawyers® “Top 100” – Gaming, The Irish Legal 100 and Business Today’s Top 10 Nationwide Gaming and Licensing Lawyers.

He obtained his J.D., M.A. in Journalism and B.A. in Political Science/Religion from Drake University.  He is admitted to practice in Nevada, Colorado, Mississippi and Iowa.