Nevada regulators approved two of the state’s most prominent former gaming officials to serve on the board of Resorts World Las Vegas, as the Strip property continues to address compliance and financial challenges that have defined much of its early history.

The Nevada Gaming Commission unanimously granted licenses to former Governor Brian Sandoval and former Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman A.G. Burnett to act as managers and directors of the resort. Regulators expressed confidence that both men would reinforce oversight efforts, particularly in the area of anti-money-laundering compliance, following last year’s $10.5 million penalty tied to the casino’s handling of an illegal bookmaker. That fine ranked among the largest ever assessed against a Nevada gaming property and required the creation of a strengthened governance structure at the casino level.

Compliance Focus After Record AML Penalty

Resorts World opened in June 2021 at a development cost of $4.3 billion, the highest price tag ever for a Las Vegas casino project. Since then, it has faced regulatory scrutiny and broader economic pressures affecting visitation across the market.

The Gaming Commission’s action comes after regulators filed a 10-count, 27-page complaint in August 2024 detailing failures within the property’s anti-money-laundering oversight. The complaint stated:

“Despite having an AML (anti-money-laundering) program, and having apparently trained its employees, Resorts World allowed a culture to exist at its gaming establishment where individuals with suspected and actual ties to illegal bookmaking, with histories of federal felony convictions related to illegal gambling businesses are welcomed at Resorts World, provided comps, gifts and discounts in an effort to obtain their business and allowed to wager and lose substantial sums of money at Resorts World,” the initial Aug. 15 complaint said, as reported by Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The subsequent $10.5 million fine became the largest AML penalty ever imposed in Nevada. Regulators required Resorts World’s parent company, Genting Berhad, to establish a Las Vegas-based board to strengthen governance and oversight. Sandoval now chairs that board.

Sandoval told commissioners that he maintains regular communication with Jennifer Roberts, the resort’s chief compliance officer, and monitors whether she has adequate resources to execute her responsibilities. Burnett described Roberts’ performance as strong and emphasized that the property’s current leadership has heightened its attention to regulatory obligations.

“Because of the history of this property, very keen attention is paid to ensure that all the rules and regulations of the Gaming Control Board and Commission are being followed and that no mistakes, like the mistakes that happened before, will happen again,” Burnett said.

Burnett added that the breakdown did not stem from the existence of a compliance program itself but from weaknesses within the internal anti-money-laundering oversight group. He said coordination between the AML and compliance committees has since increased.

Commissioner Brian Krolicki praised Genting’s decision to appoint both men, telling them:

“You’ve both been on this side and lived it,” Krolicki said. “You would never knowingly allow a compliance pickle to happen under your watch to the best of your abilities. They choose very wisely. It’s still under a big microscope and people are watching moves, both financially and with compliance. I’m sure complications can still arise regardless of you all. ‘The tone at the top’ are words we use often, but I can’t imagine a better tone at the top for Las Vegas Resorts World than you two.” 

Governance Ties Between Las Vegas and Malaysia

Sandoval addressed concerns about oversight and communication between the Las Vegas property and its Malaysia-based parent company. He described regular engagement with Genting executives despite the time difference.

“Our board and I participated in regular meetings with Genting Berhad,” Sandoval said. “You can be confident with the engagement between the two. I’ve been very pleased to see the amount of engagement. Conversations happen between the management on the property and (Genting executives).”

Genting CEO Kong Han Tan characterized the resort’s recent underperformance as temporary during an analyst call, stating:

“Genting Berhad has funded the deficits that Resorts World is facing,” Tan said. “We continue to stand behind the project. We always regarded Nevada to be a core asset and core center, we have learned a lot from being in Nevada, and that knowledge can easily be replicated. Our other properties are in a much better state of governance and compliance than ever before. I don’t see that as a waste.”

The company’s latest earnings disclosures referenced “lower visitation as well as macroeconomic uncertainty” in Las Vegas, while highlighting a “robust calendar of conventions and Las Vegas city-wide events” ahead.

Burnett’s Regulatory Record and Current Legal Battles

During the licensing hearing, commissioners revisited Burnett’s prior tenure as Gaming Control Board chair, including a high-profile dispute involving then-Attorney General Adam Laxalt and litigation tied to Las Vegas Sands.

“There was a lot of pressure placed on Mr. Laxalt to have the Gaming Control Board file an amicus, and he indeed asked us to file that amicus, and I said no,” Burnett told the commission.

He elaborated further: “When an investigation is taking place, the Gaming Control Board is hand-in-hand with other agencies, be it the DOJ, CIA or SEC. In this case, federal agencies were involved and several reports generated,” Burnett said. “There was civil litigation regarding this Nevada licensee and somewhere along the line, the litigators felt there was a report that if obtained might be helpful or hurtful to one side or another. So it became a contentious issue in discovery proceedings.”

Burnett also recalled the broader political pressure surrounding the issue: “A lot of pressure was placed on Mr. Laxalt to have the Gaming Control Board file that amicus brief, and he asked us,” Burnett said. “I said no, and the press found out about that. It became a political issue, because the legislature was in session, but I’m very proud that we held the line and did the right thing. We didn’t cave.”

Beyond Resorts World, Burnett continues to influence Nevada gaming policy in private practice. He represents the Nevada Resort Association in litigation against Kalshi and Crypto.com over prediction markets. In a recent filing, the association argued:

“These wagers are the same as the sports bets offered by state licensed sportsbooks and do not qualify as ‘swaps’ under the Commodity Exchange Act,” an NRA filing from last week reads. “Kalshi cannot credibly argue that whether a football team performs a specific type of trick play or scores a two-point conversion is ‘associated with a potential’ real-world ‘financial, economic, or commercial consequence,” as required to qualify as a ‘swap’.”