Ex-Gov. Sandoval Lands Job with MGM Resorts, Will Focus on Sports Betting

By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com

 

Brian Sandoval’s parachute has landed on MGM Resorts International’s headquarters.

 

One day after Nevada’s new governor, former Clark County Commission Chairman/Sports Superfan Steve Sisolak, was sworn in as the state’s chief executive, the outgoing governor was named by MGM Resorts International as the company’s “president of global gaming development.”

 

Sandoval will work on driving “MGM Resorts’ global expansion efforts, most importantly in Japan, and focus on state public policy efforts around sports gaming while solidifying the company’s leadership in the growing sports betting market,” according to an MGM Resorts media release Tuesday.

 

Sandoval was Nevada’s first Hispanic governor and served two terms from 2011-19. Here’s Sandoval’s statement from the press release:

 

“As I return to the private sector for the first time in over 20 years, finding the right professional opportunity to best suit my experience as a former legislator, gaming regulator, Attorney General, federal judge and Governor was important to me.

 

“MGM Resorts is a global leader in gaming and entertainment, and I look forward to joining the MGM team led by Jim Murren, someone who I greatly respect. Jim has formed critical relationships in Japan and in sports, and I look forward to building upon this strong foundation.”

 

MGM Resorts International clarified the role of company President Bill Hornbuckle, who “will now lead global casino marketing and be responsible for leveraging MGM Resorts’ worldwide assets and reputation to drive revenue growth and maximize the value contributed from the company’s assets. Hornbuckle’s marketing focus will also help drive the company’s overall growth in Macau.”

 

And here’s CEO Jim Murren’s statement:

 

“Few leaders are as widely respected, accomplished and knowledgeable as Brian Sandoval, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him as part of the MGM family. Governor Sandoval brings an unparalleled level of skill, leadership and experience to the company, and we will benefit greatly from his in-depth expertise in gaming, public policy and economic development.”

 

Sandoval, a moderate-centrist Republican, is well versed on gambling and sports betting issues. He was the youngest chairman (at age 35) of the Nevada Gaming Commission in 1999. In joining MGM Resorts, he’s going to be on the payroll of Las Vegas’ biggest employer.  On a personal front, Sandoval divorced in 2018 and remarried Las Vegas gaming executive Lauralyn McCarthy in August 2018.

 

Marketing consultant Nehme Abouzeid said the Sandoval hiring makes sense for MGM Resorts.

 

“Governor Sandoval is a great hire. He checks a lot of boxes with his experience and likability. He has been the chief executive of a state and can explain first-hand the positive effects of gaming on an economy without sounding hollow, which will help in emerging markets,” Abouzeid told LVSportsBiz.com Tuesday.

 

“And he is no stranger to new industries like e-sports and marijuana. I think his ramp-up period will be short and he’ll be able to add value quickly,” said Abouzeid, president of consulting firm LaunchVegas LLC and a longtime executive with Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands Corporation and former Golden Knights chief marketing officer..

 

MGM Resorts’ hiring of Sandoval comes at a time when the hotel/casino/entertainment company is expanding rapidly into the world of sports betting. MGM Resorts is the official sports betting partner of the NBA and also official gaming partner of Major League Baseball.

 

MGM Resorts International is also a 42.5 percent owner of T-Mobile Arena, home of the Vegas Golden Knights. MGM Resorts, naturally, is the official sports betting partner of the National Hockey League as well.

 

With sports betting becoming a mainstream entertainment activity, Sandoval will be busy shaking hands with sports team, league and stadium/arena executives on his new job.

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Sisolak, the man who won the election to replace Sandoval in Carson City, is also a sports fan who has been seen wearing Golden Knights and Raiders jerseys. Sisolak will inevitably be involved in sports betting public policy issues, too.

 

Here’s Sandoval’s background:

 

Earlier in his career, Sandoval was elected to the Nevada Assembly in 1994, serving on the Judiciary, Taxation, Labor and Management and Natural Resource Committees and passing 14 bills into law. He was appointed to the Nevada Gaming Commission in 1998 and became the Commission’s youngest Chairman in state history the following year. Sandoval was thereafter elected Nevada Attorney General in 2002. Sandoval was nominated in 2005 by then-President George W. Bush to serve as a federal judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, and confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate, a position he held until resigning to run for Governor in 2009.

 

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