U.S. Federal Gaming Law

Law 678 – Section 1001

Syllabus, Policies and Procedures

Professor Gemignani

Spring 2025

Time: 07:25 am – 08:50 am

Days of the Week: Mondays & Wednesdays

Classroom #: BSL 203

Online Learning Platform: Zoom (*for remote LLM)

Phone #: 702-518-3554

Email Address: ggemignani@gmail.com

Office Hours:

By appointment only.

Course Description:

The gaming industry operates in a highly regulated environment that includes federal statutes, state statutes, federal regulation, tribal-state compacts, tribal ordinances and tribal regulations. This course will cover a broad range of topics addressing federal law impacts on commercial, state and tribal gaming

Required and/or Recommended Books and Materials:

Course materials will be distributed by e-mail and also made available through the class website, www.federalgaminglaw.com.

Asynchronous (online at times that work for you) will be available through YouTube.  Links to YouTube videos will be listed on www.federalgaminglaw.com. Each pre-recorded video will have an accompanying quiz or assignment that must be turned in the week of the assignment to get credit toward your grade.

Other course materials include:

• The Nevada Gaming Control Act, Regulations of the Nevada Gaming Commission, and gaming license application forms and related documents.  Class members may access these materials at the Nevada State Gaming Control Board website, http://gaming.nv.gov/
• Federal Statutes, in particular Title 18 of the U.S. Federal Code, available at, https://uscode.house.gov/browse/prelim@title18/part1&edition=prelim

Other course materials will be provided without charge and will be provided through e-mail or in class and may be in pdf, HTML, or MP3 format.

Learning Outcomes for the Course:

Identifying federal gaming law issues and applying relevant federal laws to gaming industry topics

Grading/Participation/Exams

Grades will be based 95%-100% on the exam and up to 5% on class exercises, class participation. This mix may be adjusted after the first class, based upon class preferences. Grading will adhere to the Boyd Law School Student Policy Handbook.

The final examination will be open-book and open-note. The exam will include multiple choice and written essay questions on any topic discussed in class or contained in materials provided by the instructors

Law School Policies and Disclosures

Public Health

Students must adhere to all UNLV public health directives and follow guidance and directions communicated by the Boyd School of Law. Students who do not comply with these policies may be asked to leave the classroom. Refusal to follow the guidelines may result in further disciplinary action according to the UNLV Student Conduct Code, including being administratively withdrawn from the course. The health situation in Southern Nevada may change and new directives and guidelines issued. Students must keep apprised of health directives issued by the University and pay attention to communications from the law school administration. The law school strongly encourages all of its students to receive the Covid-19 vaccination, including booster shots. This syllabus was drafted in the context of the health situation in Clark County in January 2024. Law school courses are subject to adjustment in line with the conditions affecting the community, University, law school, or this particular section or class. If that becomes the case, notice of and details any adjustments will be provided. In general, should public health circumstances change, corresponding changes to the syllabus may be necessary as well.

Attendance (Student Policy Handbook, 5.01 & 2.07)

Regular and punctual class attendance is required. Individual faculty may establish more specific attendance policies. Because law school is a collaborative learning experience, attendance in class benefits all students. Further, course material is cumulative, meaning that each successive class builds upon material previously covered. Students who fail to attend class meetings will be at a disadvantage. Students are responsible for obtaining any and all information given, materials distributed, and assignments made, during missed classes.

Policy on Recording Classes (Student Policy Handbook, 5.03)

No student may audio-record or video-record any class, or arrange for it to be recorded, without the permission of the course instructor. Course instructors may allow or disallow recording on such occasions and on such terms as they deem advisable. The instructor may rescind permission anytime during the course. The recording policy is subject to exception necessary to provide students with accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Coursework Policy (Student Policy Handbook, 2.02)

Pursuant to ABA standards, J.D. students are expected to spend 42.5 hours of combined in-class and out-of-class work over the semester for each academic course credit received.

Academic Success Program / CASE

The Boyd Academic Success Program assists students in removing barriers to academic success. This includes reviewing past exams, giving sample exams or hypotheticals, evaluating study habits, and assisting with time and stress management issues. The Academic Success Program also provides a series of pre-bar exam lectures to assist in preparing to take the bar, as well as opportunities for thoughtful feedback and individualized assistance in bar preparation through the bar prep period.

Law Library Resources

The Wiener-Rogers Law Library provides resources to support students’ access to information. Reference librarians are available for consultation in person or by phone or email. For library services and resources, see Library Resources.

Academic Misconduct

Acceptance to the William S. Boyd School of Law (the Law School) represents much more than admission to the study of an intellectual discipline. The privilege of admission comes with a unique set of responsibilities, not only to fellow students, but to the Law School, to the legal profession, and to the public. The legal profession demands the highest degree of trustworthiness, honesty and public integrity. As future members of that profession, students of the Law School are bound to observe principles that reflect the same high standards that govern the practice of law. This Student Honor Code (the Honor Code) sets forth conduct that is prohibited, and it establishes minimum standards for student professional responsibility. The standards of conduct in the Honor Code are in addition to the standards set forth in the UNLV Student Conduct Code and the Law School Student Policy Handbook. Violations of the Honor Code will be subject to the procedures and sanctions of the Honor Code.  Academic integrity is a legitimate concern for every member of the University community. We all share in upholding the fundamental values of honesty, trust, respect, fairness, responsibility, and professionalism. By choosing to join the UNLV community, students accept the expectations of the Student Academic Misconduct Policy, and are encouraged to always take the ethical path whenever faced with choices. Students enrolling at UNLV assume the obligation to conduct themselves in a manner compatible with UNLV’s educational mission. An example of academic misconduct is plagiarism. Plagiarism is using the words or ideas of another person, from the Internet or any other source without proper citation of the source(s).

See the Student Conduct Code, https://www.unlv.edu/studentconduct/forms.

UNLV Policies and Disclosures

UNLV policies for all students can be accessed through the University Policies webpage at https://www.unlv.edu/policies/students.

***Continue to the Next Page for Class Assignments***

Initial Class Topics:

*CLASS TOPICS MAY CHANGE AND SCHEDULES MAY BE REVISED TO ACCOMMODATE CLASS REQUESTS, GUEST SPEAKERS, CURRENT EVENTS, and CLASS PROGRESS.