Shannon Bybee Scholarship

Shannon Bybee Scholarship Award
The Shannon Bybee Scholarship Award was established to honor the memory of Shannon Bybee, one of IAGA’s founders who had a distinguished gaming career as a gaming attorney, Nevada regulator, industry executive and pioneer in the field of education in casino operations and gaming law. Inducted into the American Gaming Association’s Hall of Fame in 2002 because of his significant contributions to responsible gaming, Bybee also played an important role in the development of problem gambling regulations and advocacy.

To honor Bybee’s contributions to gaming, each year IAGA awards prizes for the best scholarly research papers written by accredited law school students as part of their class work during the current school year. Annual submissions are solicited from law students on a global basis and judged by a committee of IAGA member attorneys practicing gaming law. To be considered for the award, each submitted paper must either enhance the understanding of gaming law or recommend a beneficial gaming law change. When selecting each year's Award recipients, the Scholarship Committee evaluates each paper on its:

quality of presentation
quality of footnoting
depth of research
novelty or importance of subject matter
value to gaming law practitioners or gaming control officials
value to the study of gaming law

This year's Bybee Scholarships are made possible by the generous sponsorship of Everi.

alt Everi is a leading supplier of technology solutions for the casino gaming industry. The Company provides casino operators with a diverse portfolio of products including innovative gaming machines that power the casino floor, and casino operational and management systems that include comprehensive, end-to-end payments solutions, critical intelligence offerings, and gaming operations efficiency technology. Everi’s mission is to be a transformative force for casino operations by facilitating memorable player experiences, delivering reliable protection and security, and striving for customer satisfaction and operational excellence.

2019 Scholarship Recipients

"The History that Preceded Historical Gaming: How Parimutuel Wagering Won its Place in America, as Typified by Kentucky " by Alex Gardner, Vanderbilt University Law School
"Surveillance as a Tool for Efficiency and Legal Concerns" by Corey Hallquist, University of Nevada, Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law

2018 Scholarship Recipients

“The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act and its Legal Implications: How Its Invalidation Will Impact Indian Gaming’s Legal and Regulatory Framework” by Francisco Olea, University of Arizona College of Law
“It's Time for Wizards to Give Up the Illusion and Show Their Cards: How Wizards of the Coast Circumvent Gaming Law to Make Millions” by David M. Stern, UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law

2017 Scholarship Recipients

"Rejecting the Zero-Sum Game in Daily Fantasy Sports". Submitted by Joshua Messick, University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law.
"The House Advantage: Trade Secret Protections on the Casino Floor." Submitted by Kevin Johnson, William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

2015 Scholarship Recipients

“Joint Employers: The Nevada Casino Operator’s Role in Regulating Labor Conditions of Venue Employees”. Submitted by Mary Tran, William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
"The Reality of (Daily) Fantasy Sports”. Submitted by Todd Weiss, William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

2015 Honorable Mention

"Edge Sorting: A Chance for Courts to Sort Out the Law for Advantage Play”. Submitted by Kevin Schweitzer, William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

2014 Scholarship Recipients

"Keeping Casinos Clean: The Problem with Dirty Money and International Differences in Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Casinos" Submitted by Kerry E. Kleiman, William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
"Taxing Gambling" Submitted by Michael Roeseler, William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

2013 Scholarship Recipients

"Modernizing Casino Gaming in the Bahamas" Submitted by Miriam Meyer-Thompson, William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
"The Patchak Problem: How Two Recent Supreme Court Cases Have Drastically Altered the Future of Tribal Gaming" Submitted by Justin Allshop, William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

2013 Honorable Mention Recipient

"You Want Daily Fantasy Sports? Move to Vegas". Submitted by Evan Simonsen, William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

2012 Scholarship Recipients

"The Curious Case of Convenience Casinos: How Internet sweepstakes cafes survive in a gray area between unlawful gambling and legitimate business promotions." Submitted by Steve Silver of Temple University Beasley School of Law.
"Cyber Thieves in Online Casinos: Applying Real-World Laws to Virtual Acts." Submitted by Jeffrey Brown of the University of Mississippi School of Law.

2012 Honorable Mention Recipient