Gaming

The gaming industry continues to evolve as technology, regulation, and consumer expectations reshape how gaming products and experiences are developed and delivered. Dickinson Wright helps clients navigate these changes, manage regulatory risk, and pursue opportunities across the gaming sector.

As a full-service law firm with offices across the United States and Canada, including key gaming and hospitality markets such as Las Vegas, Reno, Chicago, Miami, Detroit, Phoenix, Silicon Valley, Nashville, Austin, Washington, D.C., and Toronto, our gaming attorneys provide practical legal guidance tailored to each client’s business and regulatory needs.

Who We Are

Our gaming team includes transactional lawyers, litigators, regulatory and compliance counsel, government affairs professionals, engineers, and lawyers with experience in gaming and technology. The practice has been recognized by Chambers USA®, Chambers Canada®, and Chambers Global®.

Our lawyers have also helped draft and advance gaming legislation involving equipment testing, gaming enterprise districts, casino resort development, and other regulatory matters affecting the industry.

Our Services

Esports & Social Gaming

The growth of esports, social gaming, and skill-based gaming has created new opportunities and regulatory questions. We advise clients across jurisdictions, including through regulatory risk assessments and 50-state compliance reviews for new game offerings.

Sports & Entertainment

We represent individuals and businesses involved in creating, producing, operating, and managing sports and entertainment experiences, providing coordinated legal support across a range of commercial, regulatory, and transactional matters.

Land Use & Economic Development

We advise clients on development projects ranging from golf and entertainment facilities to large-scale resorts and mixed-use developments. Our work includes zoning, land use, entitlements, infrastructure, and related regulatory approvals.

Licensing & Regulatory Compliance

We counsel clients on anti-money laundering requirements, gaming device approvals, testing and metering systems, wagering systems, liquor licensing, casino financing, and other regulatory obligations.

Government Affairs

Our team works with gaming jurisdictions on legislative and regulatory developments and represents clients before gaming boards, commissions, and other government agencies.

International Gaming Law

Through our Canadian offices and cross-border platform, we assist clients entering regulated international markets and advise on the development and implementation of gaming legislation in emerging jurisdictions.

Litigation

We represent clients in disputes ranging from commercial disagreements to complex multiparty litigation, developing strategies that reflect both legal considerations and business objectives.

We also work with lawyers across the firm to address related legal needs, including:

Representative Matters

Licensing & Regulatory Compliance

• Conducted a 50-state review of gaming and amusement laws for the launch of a new online game, analyzing statutes, regulations, and court decisions and assigning risk classifications where the law was unsettled.
• Provided ongoing gaming regulatory advice to a Nevada investment and real estate development company, including participation on its compliance committee and guidance regarding quarterly reporting to Gaming Control Board agents.
• Assisted commercial casino developers with gaming licensure, constitutional amendments, gaming legislation, financing, construction, and casino operations.
• Negotiated tribal-state gaming compacts and tribal-municipal casino development agreements and advised tribal nations, developers, and vendors on sovereign contracting matters.
• Served as counsel to a resort and casino in obtaining licensure in Detroit and advised on ongoing gaming and regulatory compliance.
• Drafted legislative amendments and advised clients on revisions to gaming legislation enacted by the government of Ontario.

Land Use & Economic Development

• Represented development partners in the financing and development of a luxury mixed-use project in downtown Nashville, including a 46-story hotel and condominium tower and a 32-story residential tower with hospitality, retail, spa, and dining components. The representation included real estate, finance, tax, land use, entitlements, and construction matters.
• Represented development partners in a luxury mixed-use project in downtown Austin involving a 64-story tower with hotel rooms, condominiums, multifamily units, meeting space, spa, retail, parking, and dining. The work included acquisition, equity financing, and overall project structuring.
• Represented a developer in structuring a casino and resort development valued at more than $1 billion, including equity contributions, construction financing, EB-5 components, entity restructuring, and gaming-related security interests.
• Provided gaming and due diligence counsel for international mezzanine financing of a hotel and casino project affected by pandemic-related delays.
• Represented clients before the Nevada State Contractors Board and local planning and zoning authorities in connection with major infrastructure and development approvals.
• Represented a Canadian investor-backed company in the development and operation of a golf putting facility on the Las Vegas Strip.

Mergers, Acquisitions & Financing

• Served as Nevada gaming counsel to a lender group financing the $4.25 billion acquisition of a Las Vegas resort and casino, including real estate structuring and leaseback arrangements.
• Served as Nevada counsel in the $825 million acquisition of a Las Vegas hotel and casino, including related entertainment and recreational assets and financing components.
• Advised on gaming regulatory matters in connection with a $180 million acquisition of a payments and currency systems company serving financial institutions and casinos across multiple jurisdictions.
• Represented a hospitality solutions company in two add-on acquisitions, including the financing and refinancing of senior and subordinated debt.

Intellectual Property

• Served as Nevada gaming counsel in negotiating intellectual property rights for a themed gaming area in a Las Vegas casino, including table game and slot machine integration.
• Served as outside intellectual property counsel to an emerging online gaming company that completed multiple acquisitions following its public offering.

Litigation

• Represented a restaurant and hospitality group in a dispute involving unfair competition, breach of lease, noncompetition obligations, and related intellectual property claims arising from efforts to misappropriate goodwill and business operations in Miami Beach.