San Manuel Band of California Gives $9 Million to UNLV

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has given $9 million to the University of Nevada Las Vegas to fund education and innovation related to tribal gaming operations and law.

This gift—the largest out-of-state philanthropic gift that the California-based San Manuel Band has bestowed on an educational or health care institution—will support course development and an endowed chair at the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. It will also provide curricular, faculty and program support at the William S. Boyd School of Law. The historic agreement will, for the first time, infuse the unique elements of tribal gaming into the world’s leading hospitality and gaming program, and add a tribal gaming emphasis to the nation’s only master’s degree program in gaming law.

A $6 million portion of the gift will establish the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Endowed Chair in Tribal Gaming at the UNLV College of Hospitality. It will also enhance the college’s curriculum by incorporating tribal gaming into existing gaming courses, creating new on-campus and online degree-track courses in tribal gaming and developing a set of online certificate courses for community members and Native Americans across the nation who are interested in learning more about careers in tribal gaming operations.

The program, which will emphasize partnerships with other schools and tribes nationwide, will also host an annual, weeklong executive education seminar for tribal gaming professionals. The college plans to have faculty in place this fall, with the full tribal gaming program rollout anticipated by fall 2023.

At the UNLV Boyd School of Law, $3 million of the gift will support a professor in residence, a visiting professor and a program administrator, who will create opportunities for interdisciplinary dialogue and research on governance, regulation and economic development issues.