Bo Bernhard

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Gaming and Economic Development Expert

Professor, Sociology and Hospitality

Special Advisor, International Gaming Institute

Expertise: Gaming, Tourism, Problem gambling, Sports wagering

Biography

Bo Bernhard's research and teaching work focuses on the impacts of gaming and tourism industries on communities around the world. His grant-funded studies have supported more than a dozen student researchers who share his interest in examining the sociological laboratory of Las Vegas. He is currently exploring the long-term health of problem gamblers and Nevada’s regulated sports betting industry within the context of professional sports in Las Vegas. In addition, he has studied the health contours of multiethnic and multiracial individuals in the United States.

He began his research career at Harvard University, with an undergraduate thesis on the community impacts of the gaming and tourism industries in Nevada. He then came to UNLV to earn his Ph.D. and soon extended his analysis to global perspectives.

In 2010, he was named executive editor of the UNLV Gaming Research Journal and a Lincy Fellow at UNLV’s Brookings Mountain West. Bernhard spent more than a decade as executive director of UNLV's International Gaming Institute (IGI), and he maintains his affiliation with IGI as special advisor. Over the years, he has also served in various other capacities, including as vice president of economic development, interim vice president for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, and interim president of the UNLV Foundation.

Bernhard's work on gambling, society, and Las Vegas has been prominently featured on CNN, The Discovery Channel, the BBC, and The History Channel.

Education

Ph.D., University of Nevada, Las Vegas
B.A., Sociology, Harvard University
B.S., Psychology, Harvard University

Search For Other Experts On

economy, gaming & gambling, hospitality & tourism, Las Vegas, Nevada, social issues

Bo Bernhard In The News

Wake Up at Stadium Swim in LV w/ Ku'u & Kyle

Hawai'i Sports Radio Network

UNLV assistant professor-in-residence for the Intercollegiate and Professional Sports Management (IPSM) program Michelle Calica Coyner and UNLV professor of sociology & hospitality and expert on Gaming and Economic Development Dr. Bo Bernhard join the show. We explore the depths of the IPSM program & how UNLV is continuing to grow the opportunities for students wanting to get involved in sports, as well as ways to help Hawai'i benefit from the changing landscape of gambling and sports - the growing the "fun economy" on the way.

When Fun Turns Risky

Las Vegas is many things—an icon, adult playground, neon-lit escape hatch. For decades, it has stood as the gleaming epicenter of what happens when fun and pleasure become an economic engine and a profitable business model.

Deeper Dive: Legalising casinos in Thailand

Bangkok Post

The bill that would have legalised casinos in Thailand was recently withdrawn - but because of the money to be made and the tourists to be attracted, the issue will soon be back in play. But what about the potential downsides - an increase in crime and gambling addiction? On this episode of Deeper Dive, Dave Kendall speaks with an expert in the field of building entertainment complexes with casinos in countries where they were previously illegal: Bo Bernhard, Vice President of Economic Development at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Thai govt urged to roll the dice on casinos

Bangkok Post

Mr Bernhard, Vice President of Economic Development at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and Co-Founder of the International Responsible Gaming Alliance, visited Bangkok recently, meeting political bigwigs, economists, to encourage Thailand to jump on the casino bandwagon, and why it might have cause to regret the decision if it does not.