Sandra Douglass Morgan has seen many changes in the five years since she was appointed to the Nevada Gaming Commission.
In the same year it became a gaming regulator, the Supreme Court cleared the way for legalized sports betting. Since then, 32 other states and Washington, DC have launched sports betting.
during that time, Douglas Morgan went from gaming regulator to chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board to the corporate board of the casino giant Caesars entertainment. She is now the president of the Las Vegas Raiders and is making history as the NFL’s first woman of color to lead a team.
Douglass Morgan said her black and Korean heritage may have helped put her in the spotlight, but she pointed out that her work outside of the sports world is key to bringing diversity to the Raiders’ front office.
“It’s been exciting. I’m incredibly blessed to have been given these opportunities, you know, based on my skills and experience,” Douglass Morgan told CNBC. “It’s been an amazing journey.
In 2018, when the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, or PASPA, Douglass Morgan found herself in an advisory role, helping shape how other states embraced sports betting just as the gambling gold rush began.
“You had states and different jurisdictions … you came to Nevada and asked our team, ‘How do you regulate sports betting? And what are your relationships with licensees and bookies?'” Douglass Morgan said.
Courtesy of the Las Vegas Raiders
How teams and leagues try to navigate headline-making scandals and the potential pitfalls of sports betting, Douglass Morgan brought extensive knowledge and experience in responsible gaming and integrity.
She said sports betting is still in its infancy and education about gambling and all its rules is paramount for everyone in sports.
“Making sure that everybody – and it’s not just the players, every single employee of the club, whether on the football team side or the business organization side – is aware of the rules, is aware of some of the pitfalls,” she said.
As sports and gambling intertwine and evolve across the country, the nation’s gambling capital has emerged as a premier sports destination in its own right.
For the first time, Las Vegas will host the Super Bowl in 2024 at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Raiders, the city’s first NFL franchise. Vegas is also looking forward to its first Formula 1 race this fall and is courting MLB team the Oakland As. She has already accepted her WNBA and NHL Golden Knights aces.
Courtesy of the Las Vegas Raiders
Sports success in Las Vegas is felt personally by Douglass Morgan, who comes from the city and raises her children here. At the helm of the Raiders, she said she can help impact philanthropic and educational opportunities that improve the quality of life in her community.
And the history she’s making as president of the Raiders?
“I feel a responsibility to make sure that I don’t take this position for granted. I know that just being appointed by the president can hopefully inspire, you know, whether it’s women and girls and people from different backgrounds to know that there are opportunities for them to be in sports management,” she said.
