Outgoing Gaming Control Board Chair Praised as Resilient Leader and Industry Motivator

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Within his first 90 days as chairman, the board completed a process to eliminate 16 outdated gaming regulations, which complied with a legislative directive from Lombardo to reduce government bureaucracy.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.