Nevada Gaming Control Board chairwoman to step down

The chairwoman and executive director of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, Sandra Douglass Morgan, will be leaving her position as of November 6, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak announced Thursday.

Sisolak said in a statement that Morgan was resigning to “pursue an exciting professional opportunity,” but did not elaborate, the Associated Press reports. He said he will announce his selected appointment to fill the seat in the very near future.

Morgan has served as the board’s chair since January 2019, when Sisolak appointed her after entering office. She replaced former chairwoman and Republican former state Sen. Becky Harris.

Sisolak said Morgan’s “steady hand and unmatched leadership has been critical in guiding Nevada’s gaming industry through one of the most turbulent periods in its history.”

“It has been a privilege to lead the Nevada Gaming Control Board with such a rich and proficient history in gaming regulation. Working with an outstanding and dedicated staff throughout the state has been the honor of a lifetime,” Douglass Morgan said in a statement. “In the last two years, the Board has ensured that gaming licensees adopted and implemented policies for all types of discrimination and harassment, modernized its regulations to allow cashless wagering at machines and table games, investigated the merger creating the world’s largest casino company, and adopted COVID-19 mitigation measures.”

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Board agents have worn multiple hats beyond their normal job duties to regulate a safe reopening and continued safe operations of gaming establishments for employees, residents, and visitors,” Douglass Morgan continued. “I was and will always be proud to have been a part of these numerous accomplishments. I want to thank Governor Sisolak for the opportunity to serve in this position.”

Morgan previously worked as director of external affairs for AT&T Services Inc. for Southern Nevada and as a litigation attorney for what is now MGM Resorts International. She also served as North Las Vegas city attorney and was the first Black city attorney in the state.