Dennis Gutwald

Practice Areas

Gaming & Administrative Law

Liquor Licensing Law

Career

Dennis Gutwald is a Partner in McDonald Carano’s Gaming & Administrative Law Group. He has 25 years of experience providing gaming law advice to foreign and domestic gaming companies, private equity funds, banks, and high-net-worth individuals. Prior to becoming a private practice gaming attorney, Dennis served seven years as a Nevada Gaming Control Board Investigation Division Agent. He provides gaming industry clients with unique insight into the inner workings of gaming regulatory agencies, what the regulatory agents look for in a gaming application and how they conduct investigations.

Gaming Law

Dennis has 25 years of experience advising gaming industry clients on complex licensing, registration, permitting and ongoing compliance requirements. His regulatory expertise focuses on all aspects of gaming regulation in Nevada as well as coordinating the gaming regulatory approval process for acquisitions involving gaming operations in jurisdictions throughout the United States.

Dennis has specialty expertise assisting gaming clients located outside the United States obtain licensing approval in Nevada and remain in compliance, as well as guiding and coordinating the licensing of foreign clients in jurisdictions across the United States. He also advises VC investors and private equity funds relating to their interests in the gaming sector, including mature land-based casinos, greenfield casinos, casino redevelopment projects, route-based gaming operators, and technology suppliers to land-based casinos and B2C and B2B online gaming platforms.

Dennis has over two decades of experience preparing and coordinating gaming applications and providing gaming regulatory advice to state, national and foreign clients, including VC investors, private equity funds, institutional investors, publicly traded companies, gaming device manufacturers, resort hotel casino owners and operators, sportsbook operators, on-line gaming operators, and gaming vendor and service providers seeking to do business in Nevada or nationally.

He has prepared the gaming license applications for the ground-up development of major Las Vegas Strip properties in addition to applications for the acquisition of nonrestricted gaming establishments throughout Nevada. Dennis has also coordinated the gaming approval process for private equity companies, institutional investors, and publicly traded companies acquiring interests in gaming companies in hundreds of jurisdictions throughout the United States.

Restricted Gaming Licensing

In addition to serving as counsel to many of the largest, most successful and highest profile gaming industry companies and executives, Dennis is also recognized for his special expertise in helping businesses obtain restricted gaming licenses for taverns, bars, restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores, drug stores, liquor stores, and auto/truck plazas.

Retail and Wholesale Liquor Licensing

Dennis is highly regarded for his experience advising clients regarding the liquor licensing and other regulatory requirements for the ground-up development or acquisition of nightclubs, restaurants, drug stores, grocery stores, convenience stores, movie theaters, taverns, and resort hotels as well as liquor wholesalers, manufacturers, and importers.

Professional Memberships

Dennis is a Board Member of Keep Memory Alive, a non-profit organization created to increase awareness and raise funds for the research, diagnosis, and treatment of brain disorders in close affiliation with the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

Publications

Quoted, “Nevada regulators sign off on Gaming Arts acquisition by German game developer,” CDC Gaming, May 22, 2025

Quoted, “Amid strike, Nevada regulators recommend new operators for Virgin Hotels Las Vegas,” CDC Gaming, December 4, 2024

“Prominent Nevada legal firm looks back on 75 years of operations” Las Vegas Review-Journal, June 9, 2024

Quoted, “Clark County extends Tropicana’s gaming license,” KTNV, May 27, 2024

The Inside Scoop on Getting a Gaming License in Nevada, “On the Corner of Main Street” podcast series presented by Plaza Hotel & Casino. Discussion with Jonathan Jossel, CEO of Plaza Hotel & Casino, December 22, 2022

Quoted, “Pot of Gold: How Will Legal Weed Affect Nevada Gaming?”, Global Gaming Business, May 23, 2022

Author, “Federal legalization of marijuana, whenever it surfaces, will be like ‘bursting dam’,” Las Vegas Sun, April 25, 2022

Quoted, “Cannabis Law Attorneys Stay Busy to Keep Pace with Industry Growth,” Of Counsel: The Legal Practice and Management Report, April 2022

Quoted, “Wynn’s mulling of $35M fine appeal could signal fears of legal ramifications,” Boston Herald, May 11, 2019

Quoted, “Legal interpretations will determine what’s next for Wire Act,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, January 15, 2019

Quote, “U.S. Online Gambling Reversal Puts ‘Chill’ on Industry,” Bloomberg, January 15, 2019

Quoted, “Why PE Is Wary Of Jumping Into The Cannabis Market,” Law360, July 5, 2018

Quoted, “Supreme Court rules in favor of legalizing sports gambling outside of Nevada,” 8LasVegasNOW.com, May 14, 2018

Quoted, “Valley Sports Books React as Supreme Court Opens Door for Nationwide Sports Betting,” Fox5 News, May 14, 2018

Quoted, “US Supreme Court takes up NJ sports betting case,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, June 27, 2017

Interview, “Legalization of Sports Betting Could Spread Across America,” Inside Counsel, March 31, 2017

Education

Awards