Taft has substantial experience offering innovative, comprehensive legal services to a wide range of clients involved in all aspects of the casino and route-based gaming industry throughout North America and worldwide. As state and local governments have become increasingly dependent on gaming ventures as a source of revenue and jobs, the number of gaming-related opportunities for our clients has proliferated.
In a heavily regulated industry like casino and route-based gaming, we knew early on that the best way to learn the industry was by starting from the inside — by working as gaming counsel with state governments and their regulatory authorities to draft and advise on gaming legislation, rules and regulations. In addition to working on the government side of gaming, our lawyers have gained an in-depth understanding of the operational side of the gaming business by serving as counsel to some of the largest casino gaming companies in the world. We have also acquired significant expertise in the financial structuring of gaming transactions by representing investors, including private equity sources and real estate investment trusts, and lenders to gaming projects.
Our attorneys have represented industry clients in all aspects of casino and route-based gaming-related transactions, including the development and acquisition of facilities, structuring, negotiating and documenting of joint ventures to develop or acquire gaming projects, representing pari-mutuel, off-track betting and “racino” gaming operations, advising casino operators, casino gaming suppliers, equipment manufacturers and other vendors on licensing and other regulatory matters, representing route-based gaming operators in multiple jurisdictions, and advising Native American tribes with respect to Class II and Class III gaming operations.
Representative Services
Regulatory and Compliance
- Advise on necessity of obtaining licenses and regulatory approvals to own, manage and operate casino and route-based gaming projects.
- Advise on necessity of obtaining approvals for public and private debt offerings of gaming companies.
- Advise gaming suppliers, equipment manufacturers and other vendors on regulatory matters.
- Assist financial institutions, private equity funds, investment banks, foreign corporations, sovereign wealth funds and real estate investment trusts in preparing corporate structures that are compatible with gaming regulatory issues.
- Prepare regulatory applications for gaming licenses.
- Advise on and draft gaming legislation, as well as related rules, regulations and policies.
- Represent gaming clients and vendors before regulatory agencies.
- Assist in the preparation of proposals submitted in response to municipal and state RFPs for casino licenses.
- Advise on the political process in connection with passing and amending gaming legislation.
- Draft internal compliance procedures for gaming clients.
- Conduct independent internal investigations related to alleged gaming regulatory violations.
Mergers and Acquisitions
- Provide M&A, contract, joint venture and real estate expertise to gaming owners, operators and vendors.
- Negotiate and draft management agreements with gaming operators.
- Negotiate and draft development agreements related to multi-billion dollar casino gaming projects.
- Negotiate and draft purchase and sale agreements relating to gaming assets.
- Advise on the formation of corporate and business structures to meet gaming regulatory requirements.
- Advise on all aspects of the development of gaming facilities and ancillary businesses.
Finance
- Negotiate and document senior, mezzanine and equity financing for gaming projects throughout North America.
- Advise commercial lenders, financial institutions, private equity funds and real estate investment trusts with respect to financing gaming developments.
- Advise sovereign wealth funds participating in gaming ventures.
- Advise individual investors on potential gaming opportunities.
Governmental Representation
- Serve as casino gaming counsel to city, county and state governments.
- Draft gaming legislation and related rules and regulations.
- Review and evaluate casino gaming proposals made by competing developers/operators.
- Advise city and state governments on conducting competitive selection processes for casino opportunities.
- Assist in evaluating impacts of proposed casino developments on host communities.
- Negotiate host community agreements between local governmental units and the casino developers.
- Advise local communities on route-based gaming matters.
Litigation
- Represent casino gaming operators and route-based gaming operators in a variety of matters related to gaming assets, including contract disputes and trademark and patent infringement cases.
