All eyes in the gaming industry will be on Dennis Neilander who, after serving on the Nevada Gaming Control Board since 1998, has been named as the board’s newest chairman by Gov. Kenny Guinn.
Neilander replaces Steve DuCharme, whose tenure with the board ended on Jan. 2. DuCharme had served 10 years on the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Neilander edged out fellow board members Bobby Siller and Scott Scherer to get the nod. He received word of the promotion yesterday morning from the governor.
"I was very excited, but I realize the chairmanship is a big responsibility," Neilander told the Las Vegas Review Journal.
In a press statement, Guinn explained why he chose to go with Neilander: "This was a difficult decision because all three board members have the talent and the capability to hold the chairmanship. However, Dennis’ length of service and depth of experience was a deciding factor in my decision to appoint him chair of this very important board."
The Nevada Gaming Board is responsible for enforcing the state’s Gaming Control Act and also is charged with collecting tax money from the gaming industry. Neilander becomes the head of the board as moves in Nevada to regulate online gaming are rumored to be in the works for the upcoming legislative session. He said on Monday that closely monitoring the growing Internet gaming industry would top his list of priorities.
Brian Sandoval, Nevada Gaming Commission Chairman, was pleased with choice of Neilander as the new chair. "Dennis and I have been in constant communication on the issue of Internet gaming," he said in the Review Journal. "Dennis has a comprehensive knowledge of gaming regulations."