The Nevada Gaming Commission on Thursday unanimously approved Brian Sandoval and AG Burnett for licensure to serve on the board of Resorts World Las Vegas. The decision marked a notable moment, bringing together two longtime figures who have played major roles in overseeing Nevada’s gaming sector.
Sandoval, who now chairs the Resorts World board, previously served two terms as Nevada governor and also led the state’s gaming commission. Burnett, meanwhile, headed the Nevada Gaming Control Board for more than five years after being appointed to the position by Sandoval over a decade ago. The pair are now working together again to help guide a Strip resort seeking to recover from financial challenges and regulatory setbacks.
Because of the longstanding professional relationships among those involved, multiple disclosures were required during the hearing, giving the proceedings a lighthearted tone at times. In addition to appointing Burnett, Sandoval also named Commissioner Abbi Silver to the Nevada Court of Appeals while serving as governor. Commissioner Brian Krolicki also worked alongside Sandoval as lieutenant governor for four years, though they were elected separately.
Krolicki noted he had spent “thousands of hours” working with Sandoval and said that experience built strong confidence in his leadership. He praised Sandoval’s consistent commitment to doing what is right for Nevada, both publicly and behind closed doors.
Last year, Resorts World was fined $10.5 million for anti-money laundering violations — the largest AML penalty ever imposed in Nevada. As part of the settlement, the establishment of a dedicated casino-level board was required. With his new licence, Sandoval becomes the third Nevada governor to hold a state gaming licence, joining Paul Laxalt and Bob Miller.
Can Resorts World be saved from financial distress?
Resorts World still faces significant financial hurdles. The resort opened in June 2021 with a price tag of $4.3 billion — the most expensive development in Las Vegas history. Since its debut, however, it has dealt with fallout from the anti-money laundering (AML) scandal as well as broader economic pressures weighing on the Las Vegas market.
Parent company Genting Berhad did not provide detailed financial figures for the property in its fourth-quarter earnings report. Instead, it pointed to “lower visitation as well as macroeconomic uncertainty” affecting the market, along with softer tourism data. At the same time, the company highlighted a strong lineup of conventions and citywide events expected to support future performance in Las Vegas.
During an earnings call, Genting CEO Kong Han Tan described Las Vegas’ recent underperformance as merely “a blip” in the broader growth trajectory.
“Genting Berhad has covered the deficits incurred by Resorts World,” Tan said. “We remain fully committed to the project. Nevada has always been viewed as a core asset and key market for us. We have gained valuable experience operating there, and those lessons can be applied elsewhere. Our other properties are now operating with stronger governance and compliance standards than ever before. I do not see this as a wasted effort.”
Sands controversy fused Sandoval, Burnett relationship
While commissioners directed few questions to Sandoval, Burnett was asked by Silver about a controversial episode in Nevada gaming history that also marked a pivotal moment in his professional relationship with Sandoval.
In 2016, then–Attorney General Adam Laxalt approached Burnett, who was serving as chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, requesting that the board file an amicus brief in a disputed wrongful termination case involving Las Vegas Sands and its founder, Sheldon Adelson.
“There was significant pressure on Mr. Laxalt to have the Gaming Control Board submit an amicus brief, and he did ask us to do so, but I declined,” Burnett told the commission.
Burnett said he refused multiple requests to file the brief and went further by secretly recording his conversation with Laxalt. The recording later sparked a major controversy, leading to subpoenas and ethics inquiries. Ultimately, Las Vegas Sands settled the lawsuit and paid a $2 million fine in Nevada.
At the time, Sandoval was serving as governor, and Burnett indicated that the experience ultimately strengthened their working relationship.
“I was very proud of how that situation was handled,” Burnett said. “I was fortunate to have the support of the governor — a former federal judge and attorney general — whom I kept informed throughout. He did not interfere, but I appreciated having his backing to ensure the right course of action was taken.”
Sandoval busy with UNR, GSR arena development
Reviving the fortunes of Resorts World Las Vegas will be a significant undertaking, particularly as both Burnett and Sandoval already maintain demanding professional commitments.
Sandoval currently serves as president of the University of Nevada, Reno, while Burnett is a partner at McDonald Carano, one of Nevada’s most prominent law firms. During regulatory hearings before both the control board and commission, questions were raised about whether their additional board responsibilities might conflict with their existing roles. Both men responded that they are confident they can manage the workload effectively.
Although Sandoval’s primary duties with the university are based in Reno, he noted last month that he travels to Las Vegas frequently for board-related matters. Before joining Resorts World, the former governor also played a role in securing a major agreement with Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, which is moving forward with a $1 billion expansion centered on a new arena.
The arena is expected to serve primarily as the home venue for UNR men’s basketball, though the university itself is not contributing funding to the project. Sandoval first developed a relationship with GSR owner Alex Meruelo during his time as governor. UNR basketball — widely regarded as the region’s most popular sports team — is seen as a key component of the resort’s broader development strategy.
Grand Sierra Resort Chief Marketing Officer Chris Abraham told iGB last year that the university was the first group approached once plans for the arena were conceived, emphasizing that collaboration with UNR was “extremely important” to the project’s success.
Burnett defending state against prediction markets
Burnett remains a highly influential figure in Nevada’s gaming sector even after leaving public service. He is part of the McDonald Carano legal team representing the Nevada Resort Association in ongoing lawsuits against Kalshi and Crypto.com. The association was granted intervenor status in both cases, which are currently before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Federal and state courts across the U.S. have seen a surge in prediction market litigation, with Nevada serving as a critical battleground. As the country’s largest gaming jurisdiction, the state has a vested interest in defending its regulatory authority over event-based contracts. To date, court rulings have been mixed.
In 2025, the Nevada Gaming Control Board became the first regulator to issue a cease-and-desist order against Kalshi. The company responded with a lawsuit and initially won a preliminary injunction, which was later overturned. Since then, both parties have exchanged numerous filings as Kalshi attempts to navigate Nevada’s aggressive enforcement. Crypto.com has experienced less success, as its injunction request was denied by the same judge who dissolved Kalshi’s.
As one of the key attorneys defending the state, Burnett is at the forefront of what is arguably the most significant legal threat to Nevada’s gaming industry in recent history.
An NRA filing last week argued, “These wagers are the same as the sports bets offered by state-licensed sportsbooks and do not qualify as ‘swaps’ under the Commodity Exchange Act. Kalshi cannot credibly claim that a football team performing a trick play or scoring a two-point conversion is ‘associated with a potential’ real-world ‘financial, economic, or commercial consequence,’ as required to qualify as a ‘swap.’”
