Former Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval said Wednesday he was leaving his executive position with MGM Resorts International to pursue the presidency of the University of Nevada, Reno.
Sandoval, who was president of global gaming development for MGM Resorts, was leading the company’s efforts to secure an integrated resort license in Japan. MGM and its partner, ORIX Corp., are considered the front runners for an integrated resort license in the city.
However, Osaka announced over the weekend it was postponing its selection process by up to six months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Osaka also abandoned plans to open an integrated resort in time for the 2025 World Expo, which the city is hosting.
Meanwhile, MGM Resorts has seen a management shakeup with the departure of chairman and CEO Jim Murren on March 22. Company president Bill Hornbuckle was named acting CEO. Also, the company’s nearly two dozen gaming and non-gaming resorts in six states are closed in an effort to halt viral spread, which has taxed MGM’s balance sheet.
Murren had been the company’s leading advocate in the Japan integrated resort process.
Sandoval, a two-term Nevada governor, was named to his position with MGM Resorts in January 2019, a day after he departed the office and would lead the company’s international expansion.
“Having accomplished my goals at MGM, I have decided to put my time, energy and public and private experience to work as an applicant to become the next president of the University of Nevada, Reno,” Sandoval, a UNR graduate, said in a statement.
In his last year as governor, Sandoval led a trade mission to Japan on behalf of the National Governors Association. Sandoval also led Nevada trade missions that year to Ghana, South Africa, and Spain. His other trade missions on behalf of the state have included Australia, China, Mexico, Canada, Europe, Peru, and Chile.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity and privilege to have worked at MGM with Jim Murren and Bill Hornbuckle, two of the giants in the gaming industry, and the amazing MGM family,” Sandoval said. “I am thankful for the experiences I had, and the people I got to know, while at MGM and wish everyone good health and safety during these challenging times.”
In addition to his role with MGM Resorts, Sandoval is a distinguished fellow in law and leadership at UNLV’s William S. Boyd School of Law.
Hornbuckle currently leads MGM’s global casino marketing and is responsible for leveraging MGM Resorts’ worldwide assets.
“We are grateful to Governor Sandoval for all that he has accomplished in his time at MGM Resorts,” Hornbuckle said in a statement. “He helped to advance our efforts in Japan, in jurisdictions where we were seeking expanded access, and areas where we pursued sports betting opportunities. We wish him the very best in pursuit of this next opportunity.”
According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, Sandoval’s name was floated as a possible candidate for the UNR position last year when the current president said he would step down in June and teach at the school.
During his two terms as Nevada governor, Sandoval lead the state out of the economic recession.
Sandoval left a position as a U.S. District Court judge to run for governor in 2010. Previously, he served in the Nevada State Legislature, as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, and as the state’s Attorney General.
He entered the governor’s office with more hands-on gaming experience than any previous chief executive, and his understanding of gaming matters came from a broad background. Sandoval reinstituted the state’s Gaming Policy Committee and was a leading voice in favor of the legalization of sports betting and Internet gaming.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
