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.