Departing Gaming Control Board chairman called ‘strong leader,’ morale booster
I first met Kirk Hendrick in 1986. I was covering education for the Las Vegas Sun, and he was the incoming student body president at UNLV. I wrote a profile on him almost 40 years ago. His mother had saved a copy of that article, which he showed when I interviewed him for this 2023 piece.
Kirk Hendrick didn’t waste time after Gov. Joe Lombardo appointed him chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board in January 2023 to resolve several matters that had been plaguing the board.
Only a few insiders knew at the time that he accepted the position for just two years.
“I had my own little private consulting company, and so I was semiretired,” said Hendrick, a former chief deputy attorney general, sports law attorney and top executive with Ultimate Fighting Championship.
“I believed I could make a difference for the state and such a vital industry,” Hendrick said.
Hendrick announced his departure in January, saying he would remain on the job until the legislative session ended in June. His last day is Friday. Fellow board members who spoke during a recent control board meeting seemed to agree he’d left his mark, improving morale among agency employees and presiding over major developments in regulations, gaming law and money-laundering cases.
Within his first 90 days as chairman, the board completed a process to eliminate 16 outdated gaming regulations, which complied with a legislative directive from Lombardo to reduce government bureaucracy.
Three months later, regulators reached a stipulated settlement with Steve Wynn, stemming from a 4-year-old complaint against the disgraced gaming executive. Wynn paid a $10 million fine — the largest individual disciplinary penalty ever handed down by the board — over allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct against female employees during his time as chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts.
“Closing this dark chapter in Nevada’s gaming history allows more time for the board to continue effectively and efficiently regulating Nevada’s most important industry,” Hendrick said after the hearing.
During his tenure, the board reached stipulated settlements totaling $24.5 million with Wynn Resorts, MGM Resorts International and Resorts World Las Vegas over violations of anti-money laundering laws and unregistered international money transmissions.
Hendrick also pushed for the passage of two gaming bills during the session that he said would “streamline” areas of gaming regulation. SB46 allows the control board to investigate whether a license holder previously found unsuitable has divested from their ownership in a gaming operation. AB58 allows the control board to administratively approve new casino games without additional approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission.
Board member George Assad said Hendrick’s leadership caught the attention of the casino industry.
But he may be better remembered for restoring the morale of the Gaming Control Board’s workforce, according to Assad, board member Chandeni Sendall and former Nevada Gaming Commission Chairman Tony Alamo Jr. That, they said during a public comment session, might be Hendrick’s legacy.
Following the pandemic, the agency saw a large turnover of longtime employees and staff dealt with a backlog of licensing and investigative matters. Hendrick knew he was walking into a challenging role 30 months ago. Alamo, who spent 12 years on the gaming commission and is close to Lombardo, worked behind the scenes to convince his friend to take the position.
“You had to make hard decisions. You had to separate noise and nonsense from real issues at hand,” Alamo said. “You told the governor you would give him two years. You gave him two and a half years. That's two legislative sessions. You need a medal for that.”
The three also let it slip that Hendrick quietly donated a good portion of his salary back to the control board to support the staff in Las Vegas, Reno and Carson City, hosting office gatherings, appreciation lunches and other employee social events.
Sendall added that Hendrick purchased office resources for the board.
“We all know funding these types of events and purchases are hard to come by in any office, but especially in the government sector,” Sendall said. “Countless individuals, both from the gaming industry and board employees, have expressed to me about the great work commitment that you've shown during your time here as chairman. You've stepped up. You've served as a strong leader, providing better opportunities for engagement from board employees.”
Hendrick put one rumor that was making its way through Carson City to rest. He said he has no intention of running as a Republican for attorney general.
“My goal is to lower my golf score,” he said.
A new Nevada law OKs higher fines for illegal online gaming operators
Nevada lawmakers sent a message to the illegal online gaming community: Steer clear of the Silver State.
Lawmakers unanimously passed SB256, a measure that allows Nevada courts to impose stiffer fines beyond the previous limit of $50,000 that illegal gambling operators faced if they were convicted of violating the state’s online gaming laws.
The legislation, signed by Gov. Joe Lombardo, changed certain offenses from misdemeanors into gross misdemeanors and added a “disgorgement” requirement where any profits associated with the activity would be taken away.
“Illegal online gambling outfits pose a real risk to Nevadans,” Sen. Rochelle Nguyen (D-Las Vegas), who authored the legislation on behalf of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM), wrote in an email.
She said the increased penalties target offshore betting sites and illegal sweepstakes operations that cost Nevada’s licensed gaming operators millions of dollars in lost revenue. Subsequently, the state is robbed of potential tax dollars.
Outgoing Gaming Control Board Chairman Kirk Hendrick said Nevada “is now home to some of the strongest illegal gaming laws in the country,” and tells online gaming criminals to stay away.
“If they don't, they run the risk of not only being put into state prison, but having to give back all their ill-gotten gains,” Hendrick said.
“[The legislation] will work to ensure that these illegal actors are held accountable and consumers are protected,” Nguyen wrote.
Home means Nevada for IGT as a lottery company adopts a new name
The lottery division of International Game Technology (IGT) has a new name — Brightstar Lottery — but will stay headquartered in Rome.
Meanwhile, IGT will officially return to Nevada this summer when its slot machine, sports betting and digital gaming operations merge with gaming equipment provider Everi Holdings and begin operating under the historic IGT name. The companies are being acquired by hedge fund giant Apollo Global Management in a $6.3 billion deal.
Apollo partner Daniel Cohen told the Gaming Control Board last week that the headquarters for the newly combined IGT will be in Las Vegas. Fitch Ratings said the new IGT will have some 70,000 slot machines in North America, the most in the casino industry.
He said the combined company — which includes slot machines, gaming systems, financial transaction technology and a sports betting platform — will be the industry’s largest diversified platform.
“Our goal long term is to become the operator supplier,” he said. “You can go to IGT for [all] of your product needs.”
What I'm reading
NYC Mayor Eric Adams helps save Trump-linked Bally’s casino bid with show of support — Carl Campanile, Haley Brown and Kevin McCarthy, The New York Post
Bally’s Corp. received a boost from the mayor for one of the three planned New York City-area casinos.
FanDuel, Kalshi have discussed a deal — Ryan Glasspiegel and Ben Horney, Front Office Sports
Sources said nearly all the state-licensed sportsbooks and federally regulated exchanges are exploring frameworks of potential collaborations.
Not all tribes are getting rich off gaming, but many still depend on the benefits — Brant James, InGame.com
Tribal gaming nationally reached $41.9 billion in 2023, with 25 percent coming from California.
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