Stephen D. Schrier

Stephen D. Schrier
Partner
Business Litigation

Biography

Stephen Schrier co-chairs the firm’s Gaming and Sports practices. He concentrates on complex litigation, regulatory proceedings, transactions, and advice involving all aspects of gaming and related businesses, including casino, internet, racing, social gaming, and sports betting. He has vast experience handling matters of anti-money laundering, gaming licensing, regulatory violations, compliance, employment law, restrictive covenants, insolvency proceedings, and construction law.

With over 30 years of experience at the trial and appellate levels, Stephen maintains a special emphasis on gaming law and regulatory matters for casino and horse racing licensees, internet gaming operators and sports betting companies, as well as investors, developers, lenders, equity holders, and vendors in this industry.

Since 1990, Stephen has been an adjunct professor at Rutgers Law School, where he teaches gaming law.

Prior to entering private practice, Stephen was a deputy attorney general for the State of New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, where he was responsible for ensuring that New Jersey gaming establishments and vendors were in compliance with state regulations during their initial license investigations and ongoing operations. He is former Chair and current Trustee of the Casino Law Section of the NJ State Bar Association, and member of the Gaming Law Committee of the PA Bar Association, as well as frequent lecturer on gaming topics nationally and internationally.

Experience

  • Represent companies among the first to apply for licensure to engage in sports wagering operations outside Nevada following the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in Murphy v. NCAA, et al.
  • Provide guidance to gaming operators, investors, and sports organizations on legislation regarding sports betting.
  • Represent companies in the social gaming and e-sports business sectors.
  • Successfully obtained the first Internet gaming transactional waivers for New Jersey casino operators and internet companies.
  • Negotiated complex divestiture provisions with regulators to enable a publicly traded internet gaming company to operate in New Jersey.
  • Won the first commercial gaming license for a Native American tribe.
  • Represented lender group in gaming company restructuring.
  • Prepared agreements between developer/owner and casino operator for casino project.
  • Represented casino purchaser in post closing litigation with seller.
  • Prepared Internet gaming language for proposed legislation.
  • Counseled casino developer in business and regulatory matters before bidding on gaming licenses.
  • Defended an employer in multiple whistleblower claims alleging a cover-up.
  • Successfully obtained one of the first racino licenses under Pennsylvania's Gaming Act.
  • Represent gaming operators and vendors in contested regulatory proceedings.
  • Successfully defended casino licensee in multiple Pennsylvania Supreme Court cases.
  • Conducted internal investigation of misappropriation of company funds for national transportation company.
  • Prepared numerous license application materials and presented to gaming boards for several casino gaming applicants.

Relevant Published Opinions

  • Mason Dixon Resorts, L.P. v. Pa. Gaming Control Bd., 52 A.3d 1087, 2012 Pa. LEXIS 1862 (Pa. 2012)
  • Taveras v. Resorts International Hotel, Inc., et al., 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 71670 (D.N.J. 2008)
  • Philadelphia Entertainment and Development Partners, L.P. v. City Council of Philadelphia, 596 Pa. 422 (Pa. 2008)
  • Pennsylvania Gaming Control Bd. v. City Council of Philadelphia, 928 A.2d 1255 (Pa. 2007)
  • Society Hill Civic Ass’n. v. Pennsylvania Gaming Control Bd., 928 A.2d 175 (Pa. 2007)
  • Gerald Chamales Corp. v. Oki Data Americas, Inc., et al., 247 F.R.D. 453 (D.N.J 2007)

News & Views

See all News and Views

Recognitions

  • AV Preeminent®, listed in Martindale-Hubbell®
  • 2023–2024, Gaming & Licensing Law, listed in Chambers USA
  • 2006–2025, Gaming Law in Philadelphia, listed in Best Lawyers in America©
  • 2025, Thought Leader in Gaming, listed in Lexology Index (formerly Who's Who Legal)
  • 2022, Global Leader in Gaming, listed in Who’s Who Legal
  • 2018; 2020; 2022, listed in Euromoney’s Gaming and Gambling Best of the Best USA Expert Guides
  • 2021, Sports, Gaming & Entertainment Law Trailblazer, listed in The National Law Journal
  • 2018–2019, listed in Euromoney’s Gaming and Gambling Expert Guide
  • 2014, exclusive selection of Client Choice for Leisure & Tourism in Pennsylvania
  • 2014, “Best Attorney in Business,” listed in South Jersey Biz magazine

Affiliations

Memberships

  • International Association of Gaming Advisors
  • International Masters Gaming Law
  • New Jersey State Bar Association

Credentials

Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • New Jersey

Education

  • University of Colorado, BA
  • Rutgers University School of Law, Camden, JD

A description of the standard or methodology on which the accolades are based can be found here.

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