Richard Schuetz recently resigned as executive director of the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission for “personal and professional reasons.” Schuetz will remain in his position through the end of the year to identify and assist his successor. Schuetz joined the commission as its first executive director in September 2015. Prior to that, he served for nearly four years as a commissioner with the California Gambling Control Commission in Sacramento.
Commission Chairman Alan Dunch stated, “The Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission is thankful for Richard’s two years of service, leadership and commitment to formulating a framework for Bermuda’s introduction of integrated resort casinos. We understand and support his decision to step down and are grateful for his assistance in positioning the commission and its staff for future growth.”
Schuetz has held a wide variety of casino industry positions, from blackjack and dice dealer to executive vice president, president and chief executive officer at casino resorts in several jurisdictions. Schuetz was a senior executive at casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Reno/Tahoe, Laughlin, Minnesota, Mississippi and Louisiana. In addition, as a consultant, Schuetz helped the City of Detroit and the state of Kansas introduce casino gambling.
Additionally, Schuetz has taught casino management and regulation at the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland, and at the University of Macau and Macau Polytechnic Institute in China. He was named an honorary professor of casino marketing at the Baron N. Hilton School of Hotel Administration at the University of Houston. Schuetz also has lectured and published more than 80 articles on gaming, gaming regulation and casino marketing. He holds a business degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a masters in philosophy specializing in economic analysis from the University of Utah. Mr. Schuetz also is ABD PhD in Economics from the University of Utah.
Dunch said, “As a result of Richard’s resignation, one of our immediate priorities will be to implement a search process with a view to recruiting a new executive director. I am pleased that Richard will be assisting us in this process so that his expertise will be available to us in terms of assessing the credentials of any applicants and advising us as to whom is best suited to take over from him in this role. He will also use his remaining time with us to ensure the Hamilton Princess response to the RFP for a provisional gaming license is appropriately handled without any disruption.”
Schuetz added, “It’s been an enormous privilege to work with the commission and its staff, to help create a viable casino industry, one that operates with a high level of integrity and ethics, and produces jobs and investment for Bermuda, as well as enhancing the Island’s tourism product.”
