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David G. Schwartz
Director, Center for Gaming Research
Vice President of Research and Analytics for Santo Gaming
Expertise: History of Gambling, Gaming Statistics, Casino Surveillance and Security, Gaming Technology, Casinos and Social Media
About
David G. Schwartz directs the Center for Gaming Research at UNLV, a hub for scholarly analysis of gambling and gaming issues. The center is part of University Libraries and boasts the largest repository of English-language materials on gambling and has an unparalleled repository of books, journals, and primary materials for gaming research. The center also maintains casino corporate archives including the Harrah’s Entertainment, MGM Resorts, and Boyd Gaming Corporate Archives, gaming-related manuscript collections such as the Sands, New Frontier, and Binion’s Horseshoe collections, and a growing number of collections obtained under the Problem Gambling Pioneers initiative, which collects and preserves the papers of the pioneers of the problem gambling treatment and advocacy movement.
In addition to his work at UNLV, Schwartz is an active consultant. As vice president of research and analytics for Santo Gaming he assists the Las Vegas-based gaming management and consulting firm with a range of projects.
Schwartz is the author of three books about gambling, including Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling, Suburban Xanadu: The Casino Resort on the Las Vegas Strip and Beyond, and Cutting the Wire: Gaming Prohibition and the Internet. He currently writes the biweekly Green Felt Journal column for Vegas Seven magazine and was named gaming and hospitality editor of Vegas Seven.
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
David G. Schwartz In The News
Atlantic City's gaming industry is riding a hot streak this month with the arrival of legalized sports betting and the impending opening of two casinos.
The historic meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could lead to investment opportunities in the rogue nation in the years to come.
Legal gambling put this city on the international map, helping it become larger-than-life – with a mix of kitsch – and a prime example of American excess.
Back when I worked security in an Atlantic City casino, patrons would often ask me, “Which slot machine is the one that’s going to hit?” My usual response was, “If I knew that, I wouldn’t be working here anymore,” followed by a knowing chuckle. Never failed to get at least a smile in return.
Articles Featuring David G. Schwartz
National Archives grant helps University Libraries' Special Collections Division preserve archival collections on expansion of gaming in America from 1970 to 2010.
Five national scholars will study aspects of gaming and gambling during residencies at the University Libraries Center for Gaming Research.