Nevada Gaming Commission Unanimously Approves Former Governor Brian Sandoval and Top Regulator AG Burnett to Resorts World Las Vegas Board

The Nevada Gaming Commission approves former Governor Brian Sandoval and AG Burnett to the Resorts World Las Vegas board to lead an AML and financial turnaround.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 3, 2026, 4:40 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from iGaming Business

A Rare Return to Regulatory Oversight from the Private Sector

The Nevada Gaming Commission has officially approved the licensure of Brian Sandoval and AG Burnett for the board of directors of Resorts World Las Vegas. The decision, reached on Thursday, marks a rare instance where two of the state's most prominent former regulators return to the industry in a governance capacity. Sandoval, who previously served as both the Governor of Nevada and Chairman of the Gaming Commission, will lead the Resorts World board. He is joined by Burnett, who helmed the Nevada Gaming Control Board for over five years. The duo’s deep institutional knowledge is being leveraged as a "turnaround team" for a property that has struggled with high-profile compliance failures and underwhelming financial performance since its 2021 opening.

Mandated Governance Shifts Following Record Penalties

The appointment of a casino-level board of directors was not merely a strategic choice but a requirement stipulated in a recent settlement. Last year, Resorts World was hit with a $10.5 million fine for anti-money laundering (AML) violations—the largest penalty of its kind in Nevada’s history. As part of the resolution, the operator was mandated to establish a high-level board to ensure stricter oversight and prevent future lapses in compliance. Sandoval becomes only the third former Nevada governor to receive a state gaming license, highlighting the gravity of the task at hand. The property's parent company, Genting Berhad, has reiterated its full support for the project, viewing the current governance overhaul as essential for securing the property’s long-term future on the Las Vegas Strip.

Navigating Financial Headwinds and Macroeconomic Pressure

Beyond its regulatory challenges, Resorts World Las Vegas is grappling with significant financial distress. With a construction cost of $4.3 billion, it remains the most expensive property ever built in Las Vegas. However, since its launch, it has faced "lower visitation and macroeconomic uncertainty," according to Genting Berhad’s fourth-quarter earnings report. Despite these setbacks, Genting CEO Kong Han Tan has dismissed the property’s underperformance as a "blip" on the path to success. The company continues to fund the property's deficits, banking on a robust calendar of future conventions and city-wide events to drive the tourism numbers ne...