Shannon Bybee, 1938-2003

The gaming world lost one of its legends recently when Shannon Bybee passed away. Shannon was one of the epic figures of the industry, a man who changed the course of the business as a regulator, executive, lawyer, and teacher. He was one of the architects of Nevada's gaming regulations, and was the executive director of the International Gaming Institute at UNLV since 1994.
The LVRJ had an excellent story about Shannon, and I'll quote parts of it here:

One of the first casino executives to take a stand in support of problem gambling research and treatment, Bybee was a former president of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling. The council created the Shannon Bybee Award last year, an annual recognition given to a person who has made meaningful contributions to the issue of problem gambling.

Bybee was awarded the American Gaming Association's Gaming Greats Special Achievement Award last fall.

Nevada Gaming Commission Chairman Pete Bernhard had high praise for Bybee and his career.

"I believe Nevada and the gaming industry has lost a pioneer in gaming regulation and integrity. His commitment to his family, gaming law and regulation were paramount. We're very grateful for what he gave his community and the state," he said Friday.

Bybee was born Aug. 29, 1938, in Tropic, Utah, and was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He served as a U.S. Army military police officer and worked at the jail in Reno while putting himself through college at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Bybee graduated from the University of Utah College of Law in 1969 and clerked for Nevada Supreme Court Justice Jon Collins before moving into private practice.

He was appointed as a member of the Nevada Gaming Control Board in 1971 and served on the panel that serves as the industry's tax collector and policeman until 1974.

Bybee later worked for the Golden Nugget, eventually serving as president and chief executive officer of Golden Nugget Atlantic City.

He also was CEO of Atlantic City's Claridge hotel-casino and president and chief operating officer of slot maker Alliance Gaming Corp.

Steve Wynn, Bybee's former boss at Golden Nugget and its successor, Mirage Resorts, was saddened by Bybee's passing.

"Shannon Bybee was a dear friend and colleague who contributed greatly to the success of the Golden Nugget and Mirage Resorts in its Atlantic City day," Wynn said in a statement. "Shannon's personal integrity and his commitment to helping others was expressed in public service to the community as a member of the Gaming Control Board and as a teacher of young people in his role as professor at UNLV.

"Our community does not often enjoy the benefits of a man such as Shannon, so his passing is a loss to all of us," Wynn continued. "He will surely be missed, especially (by my wife Elaine and me)."

Bybee joined the faculty at UNLV in 1994 as a gaming professor. He was a professor at the school's College of Hotel Administration, the William S. Boyd School of Law and directed UNLV's International Gaming Institute.
FULL STORY

On a personal level, Shannon was more than a mentor to me--he was a friend as well, and someone who helped me to get established at UNLV and in the gaming field. That he was able to accomplish so much on so many fronts during his career and maintain an unimpeachable sense of personal integrity is an inspiration to me, and should be for anyone who is connected to the gaming profession.
His memory will continue to be an inspiration to those who were fortunate enough to have known him, and his legacy will always serve as an example for those in casino regulation and the gaming industry.
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posted by Dave at 4:58 PM