What Governments Want from Gaming: The View from the Evaluators

“What Governments Want from Gaming” – When gaming expands to a new jurisdiction, what does the jurisdiction expect or want from gaming within its borders? Jurisdictions often share similar expectations – economic development, revenues, jobs, tourism, financial stability, environmental sustainability, speed to market, and mitigation of adverse impacts. Although jurisdictions have common expectations of gaming, their priorities and each seeks to satisfy these expectations varies significantly. Christiansen and Copp have advised various jurisdictions on gaming expansion within their borders. In particular, they have assisted jurisdictions in drafting legislation relating to gaming expansion, establishing competitive bidding procedures for selecting casino operators and evaluating the competitive bid responses submitted by such operators for the ultimate award of the casino licenses. Most recently, Christiansen and Copp served as advisors to the State of New York in connection with its selection of four casinos to operate in Upstate New York. Based on their experiences, Christiansen and Copp recently published “The Process of Applying for a License in a New Gaming Jurisdiction: Do’s and Don’ts” in the UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal, 18(2). Christiansen and Copp will present a revised and updated version of this article and discuss what they’ve learned about what governments want from gaming