{"id":95732,"date":"2019-01-08T11:10:31","date_gmt":"2019-01-08T19:10:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=95732"},"modified":"2019-01-08T11:21:21","modified_gmt":"2019-01-08T19:21:21","slug":"outgoing-nevada-governor-brian-sandoval-joins-mgm-resorts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/outgoing-nevada-governor-brian-sandoval-joins-mgm-resorts\/","title":{"rendered":"Outgoing Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval Joins MGM Resorts, Will Focus on Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval (R) is just one day removed from office, but the politician isn’t taking time off after serving two terms. Instead, the Republican is joining MGM Resorts to head up their global development and focus on state public policies relating to sports betting.<\/p>\n

\"Brian
Just 24 hours after leaving office, former Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval has landed a job with the state’s largest employer, MGM Resorts. (Image: KTNV)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sandoval’s official title: MGM Resorts President of Global Development.<\/p>\n

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MGM CEO Jim Murren said “few leaders are as widely respected” as Nevada’s 29th governor, and believes the casino company can benefit from his “unparalleled level of skill, leadership and experience \u2026 in gaming, public policy, and economic development.”<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n

MGM Resorts, like every other major casino operator, is heavily focused on Japan where the country is liberalizing commercial gambling. The formal bidding process to obtain one of the three coveted licenses could begin as early as this year.<\/p>\n

Due to Nevada term limits, Sandoval couldn’t seek a third term. Governor Steve Sisolak (D) was sworn into office yesterday<\/a>. The former Clark County commissioner defeated Republican challenger Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt in November.<\/p>\n

Taking Talents Overseas <\/b><\/h2>\n

Sandoval is returning to the private sector for the first time in 20 years. He joined the Nevada Gaming Commission in 1999, then became the state’s attorney general in 2003. In 2005, he became a judge in the US District Court for Nevada, and then won the governorship in 2011.<\/p>\n

It’s been two-decade run in the Silver State, but now Sandoval must think globally. The stakes are high.<\/p>\n

Morgan Stanley believes Japan’s three integrated casino resorts upon maturation could generate $15 billion in annual revenue<\/a>. For context, Nevada’s entire gaming industry won $11.5 billion in 2017, and that was the state’s best figure in a decade.<\/p>\n

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Gaming Post-Politics <\/strong><\/p>\n

Sandoval isn’t the only politician or federal official to enter the gaming world post-service. A few notables:<\/p>\n