Leading the Way

For someone born and bred in the Garden State such as Jordan Hollander, understanding the history of his state’s and Atlantic City’s growth as one of the top locales for casino gaming has been a point of pride.

Nevada was the only state with legal casino gaming until Resorts Atlantic City opened in 1978. In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which had grandfathered Nevada’s monopoly on legal sports betting, was unconstitutional. Just six years later, with Hollander now serving as assistant section chief of casino licensing for New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, 19 online sportsbooks are operating in the state.

“New Jersey had legalized online casinos in 2013,” said the 2016 William S. Boyd School of Law LL.M graduate. “The state has been on the forefront in the gaming industry.”

Hollander was completing a clerkship for Criminal Judge Francis Vernoia in Freehold, N.J., in the summer of 2015 when he decided to pursue the Masters of Law in Gaming Law and Regulation. He said then William Hill CEO Joe Asher, whom he’d had met through his family, influenced his decision to further his education in Las Vegas.

“He said, ‘I know you’re interested in gaming law. UNLV just started a program in gaming law,’” Hollander noted.

Hollander’s mother and older brothers had entered the legal profession. It seemed natural to bolster his expertise with the LL.M.

“I’m a nerd and I like learning things,” he said of his decision to apply.

Boyd Professor Jennifer Roberts’ Resort Hotel Casino Law and Fundamentals of Casino Operations and Management courses played a pivotal role in his studies. The latter course covered the full breadth of the multitude of departments at a casino — among them audit, finance, security and surveillance — and several operators managing those units talked with students about the intricacies of day-to-day business.  

Hollander, who has served as a New Jersey deputy attorney general since October 2016, said that some prospective students might view gaming law as a bit of a niche area of the industry, but he says its importance cannot be underestimated because of gaming’s worldwide growth potential.

“It’s essential,” he said.