The Nevada Gaming Control Board Wednesday welcomed its newest member, while Chair Kirk Hendrick, who announced last month that he’ll be stepping down this summer, outlined his agenda for the final months of his tenure, including reviewing house rules for race and sportsbooks.
Chandeni Sendall came to the position after serving as a deputy city attorney for Reno. A former employee of Caesars Entertainment, she replaced Brittnie Watkins, whose four-year term expired at the end of January, for the three-member Board that makes recommendations on licensing and other gaming policies to the Nevada Gaming Commission.
Hendrick, who oversees the Board, will be stepping down sometime after the Nevada Legislature term ends in June.
“People have asked me what my plans are, and I can tell everyone right now it’s to get a lot more done in the next few months,” Hendrick said. “We’ve accomplished so much in the two years since (fellow Board member George Assad) and I got here. Now that I have a shot clock facing my remaining time, it just adds more pressure to get more done in the interest of time.”
Among the projects underway and those soon to be done, Watkins led a task force to review, update, and streamline the Board’s hearing process. That work is “on the one-yard line.”
The Board’s enforcement division recently took over a project to review racebook and sportsbook house rules and has held industry meetings. A group is working on ways to make house rules as “easy as possible to comprehend for both patrons and the industry. It’s my belief that some level of uniformity will benefit all stakeholders and streamline the hearing process if any disputes do arise,” Hendrick said.
In addition, a Board group is addressing signage compliance at restricted locations, as Nevada law requires the signage to clarify that slot players don’t have to pay a cover charge or fee to play the machines.
Another item is dealing with changes to gaming salons that the industry has asked about at previous workshops. The expectation is for more hearings in the next month or two, Hendrick said.
Hendrick asked Assad to lead a Board and industry task force to review all applications and requirements related to Board investigations. Nevada Gaming Commission member George Markantonis will also serve on the task force, given his experience in the gaming industry and as a regulator.
“The goal of all of these groups will be to streamline the process whenever possible and efficiencies can be found wherever we can,” Hendrick said. “There are 1,000 things that go on daily at the Board, some big and some small. I will be publicly highlighting some of the Board efforts over the coming months, both during our live meetings and on our social-media outlets.”
Hendrick said having goal-oriented missions “allows you to get things done. I expect a lot of work to get done in the next couple of months.”
