When the Nevada Gaming Control Board holds its monthly meeting Wednesday in Las Vegas, the state’s lead regulatory panel will still be short one member.
Gov. Steve Sisolak has not yet chosen a replacement for Shawn Reid, who retired from the three-member panel when his term expired at the end of January. Sisolak named Sandra Douglass Morgan as the Control Board’s chairwoman to replace Becky Harris, on Jan. 10. Harris’ term was also expiring.
Morgan and board member Terry Johnson conducted February’s meeting in Carson City, where the suitability of gaming license applicants and other regulatory matters were discussed. The full-time Control Board makes recommendations to the part-time Nevada Gaming Commission.
Longtime gaming observers said it’s not uncommon for the Control Board to be absent a member for one month when terms expire or there is a resignation, but a two-month absence is unusual.
According to Nevada statute, if there were to be 1-1 tie vote on an item, it would deemed “no action.”
Sisolak spokeswoman Helen Kalla said in the email Monday, “The governor has interviewed candidates and will appoint to this critical position in the coming weeks.”
Sisolak also needs to appoint a person to an open seat on the Gaming Commission. Morgan had been a member of the five-person panel but resigned the seat to become the second woman and first African-American to chair the Control Board.
Reid, a career Gaming Control Board employee since 1990, was appointed to his seat in 2011 by Sandoval. His background was in investigations and enforcement. At least one Control Board seat is typically held by someone with a law enforcement background. Morgan and Johnson are both attorneys.
Johnson was appointed to the Control Board by Governor Brian Sandoval in 2012 and was subsequently reappointed. His term expires in January 2021.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgamingreports.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
