Governor-elect Aaron Ford will have two Nevada Gaming Control Board seats to fill within his first month in office

What happened

Gov.-elect Aaron Ford will have two gaming regulatory appointments to make soon after he takes office in January, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The terms of Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Mike Dreitzer and board member George Assad end Jan. 29, according to Control Board sources cited by the newspaper.

Dreitzer and Assad make up two-thirds of the three-member board. That means Ford will have an early chance to shape who leads the board. Our earlier coverage of the governor's race has more on Ford's election.

The Review-Journal said a representative of Ford could not be reached to discuss whether he has considered any appointments yet.

Why the Control Board matters

According to the Review-Journal, the Control Board works through six divisions to protect the stability of the gaming industry. Its work includes investigations, licensing and enforcement of laws and regulations, along with collecting gaming taxes and fees, which the newspaper described as a key source of state revenue.

The board makes monthly recommendations to the five-member Nevada Gaming Commission. The Review-Journal also noted that Nevada's regulated gaming structure is copied by other jurisdictions around the world, and that representatives of other regulatory bodies often meet with Control Board members and staff.

A Gaming Commission seat comes later

Ford will also have a Gaming Commission appointment to make, but not right away. Commissioner George Markantonis has a term that ends April 27, the Review-Journal reported.

Who holds the seats now

Based on their resumes, the Review-Journal described Assad and Dreitzer as among the most experienced of the state's current gaming regulators.

Chairman Mike Dreitzer

Dreitzer was appointed Control Board chairman in June 2025. Before that, he was a deputy attorney general in Nevada and represented both the Control Board and the Gaming Commission. He also held senior roles at Progressive Gaming, BMM Testlabs and Ainsworth Game Technology, and served as CEO of Gaming Arts, a startup gaming equipment supplier.

The newspaper said Dreitzer has 25 years of experience in gaming, gaming law and regulation. As chairman, he has focused on modernization, transparency and efficiency as part of an effort to streamline regulations.

Board member George Assad

Assad was appointed to the board in January 2023. He is a retired Las Vegas Municipal Court judge who served for nine years. Before joining the bench, he was the Clark County District Attorney's Office's lead attorney prosecuting felony jury trials, including gaming fraud and cheating cases.

Board member Chandeni Sendall

The third board member, Chandeni Sendall, is not up for appointment. She is a Reno resident with an economics degree from UNR, and her term runs through January 2029, the Review-Journal reported.

What the law requires

State law sets specific expertise for each board seat. The chair, who also serves as executive director, must have at least five years of responsible administrative experience or hold broad management skills.

One of the other two members must be a financial or accounting expert with at least five years of general accounting experience in corporate finance, with qualifications in corporate finance, auditing, general finance or economics. Sendall holds that role. The remaining seat, now held by Assad, calls for expertise in investigations, law enforcement or legal matters.

North and South balance

The Review-Journal noted that past governors have balanced gaming appointments between Northern and Southern Nevada. Because Sendall lives in Reno, the newspaper said Ford's picks could come from Las Vegas. It also said Ford could reappoint Dreitzer and Assad because of their experience. More coverage of the state's new political landscape is on our elections page.

What to watch next

• Whether Ford names new appointees or reappoints Dreitzer and Assad before their terms end Jan. 29.
• Whether Ford's representatives comment on any planned gaming appointments, which they had not done when the Review-Journal reported the story.
• Ford's choice for the Gaming Commission seat held by George Markantonis, whose term ends April 27.