Nevada names new Gaming Control Board chair
State Senator Becky Harris takes charge following the departure of AG Burnett
Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval has appointed State Senator Becky Harris to the position of chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
Harris will become the first woman to hold the position, taking over from AG Burnett, who announced his departure last month.
Harris is a lawyer by trade, holding a Master of Laws in Gaming Law and Regulation from UNLV’s Boyd School of Law.
More recently, she has served two sessions as a state senator in Nevada.
Governor Sandoval said he was confident Harris would serve with “distinction and integrity.”
“Nevada’s gaming regulatory structure is the best in the world and it is imperative that the public servants who serve on this commission are beyond reproach and willing to make difficult decisions,” Sandoval said.
“Becky has served her community as an elected official and worked to pass legislation which codified the egaming decision made by the Gaming Policy Committee which authorized egaming competitions, helped spur innovation in gaming, and ensured Nevada remains on the forefront of new opportunities in one of our state’s oldest industries.”
New NGCB chair Becky Harris
Harris said it was a “tremendous responsibility” to be appointed to the “finest regulatory system in the world.”
Harris has initially been appointed to serve out the remainder of Burnett’s term, which lasts until January 2019.
She told reporters it was too soon to lay out her priorities, but said the state is at a crossroads on several key gaming issues, including the potential legalization of nationwide sports betting.