David G. Schwartz

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Professor & Gaming Historian

UNLV Ombuds

Affiliate Professor, Department of History

Former Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

Expertise: History of gambling, History of games, History of Las Vegas, Conflict resolution

Biography

David G. Schwartz is a gaming historian. Currently serving as UNLV's ombuds, Schwartz was director of the Center for Gaming Research at UNLV, a hub for scholarly analysis of gambling and gaming issues for many years. His research interests include the histories of gambling, gaming, and games (including video games), Las Vegas and Nevada history, tourism, and conflict resolution.

Schwartz has written seven books, as well as edited or co-edited four others, in his area of specialty — gaming history. Some of his more popular books include At the Sands: The Casino That Shaped Classic Las Vegas, Brought the Rat Pack Together, and Went Out With a Bang, Grandissimo: The First Emperor of Las Vegas, Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling, and Boardwalk Playground: The Making, Unmaking, & Remaking of Atlantic City. He has served on several state and local groups, including the Nevada Gaming Policy Committee and the advisory boards of the Museum of Gambling History and the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement (Mob Museum).

Additionally, Schwartz is a Certified Organizational Ombuds Practitioner (CO-OP), awarded by the International Ombuds Association, and a trained mediator who leads the UNLV Ombuds Office’s mediation practice and volunteers with the Clark County Neighborhood Justice Center.

The professor has taught undergraduate and graduate courses for the colleges of Liberal Arts, Law, Honors, and Hospitality and been actively involved with Nevada Promise, McNair Scholars, and other student mentoring groups.

Education

Ph.D., American History, University of California, Los Angeles
M.A., American History, University of Pennsylvania
B.A., Anthropology and History, University of Pennsylvania

Search For Other Experts On

gaming & gambling, history, hospitality & tourism, Las Vegas, Nevada

David G. Schwartz In The News

OPINION: The road to fascinating reading by Nevada writers starts here

Another worthy addition to the gambling bookshelf is David G. Schwartz’s Something for Your Money: A History of Las Vegas Casinos. It takes the reader from the sawdust floor of the earliest gambling parlors to the high-roller salons of the new Strip. The Las Vegas story is a well-worn subject, and many tales have been told. But Schwartz brings much new material and the academic rigor that reflects his expertise and stature as UNLV’s ombuds and a history professor. It’s the latest in his growing body of work on a subject that continues to fascinate writers and readers alike.

Schuetz: For The Bettors, The Good Old Days Are Right Here, Right Now

Casino Reports

These are crazy times in the industry, and customers should take advantage while they can.

Eastside Cannery to be demolished after never reopening following COVID

The long-shuttered Eastside Cannery casino on the Boulder Strip, which closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and never reopened, will be demolished, according to Boyd Gaming.

Frank Floor Talk: Thumps can be good

CDC Gaming

David G. Schwartz is a prolific gaming and casino historian. I have reviewed several of his books in this space over the years, including his latest backgrounder on the history of Las Vegas: “Something for Your Money.” While that topic has been amply covered by dozens of other works, his stands out as extremely well-researched, but at the same time very readable.