NFL Raiders’ Sandra Douglass Morgan on US sports betting
Sandra Douglass Morgan has seen a lot of change in the five years since she was appointed to the Nevada Gaming Commission.
The same year it became the gambling regulator, the Supreme Court paved the way for the legalization of sports betting. Since then, 32 other states and Washington, DC have launched sports betting.
Meanwhile, Douglass Morgan has gone from gaming regulator to chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board to the casino giant’s board of directors. Entertainment Caesars. Now she is president of the Las Vegas Raiders, 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 stressed her work outside of the sports world was key to bringing diversity to the Raiders’ front office.
“It’s exhilarating. I’m incredibly lucky to have had 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 to shape how other states embraced sports betting at the time. even where the gold rush was beginning.
“You’ve had states and different jurisdictions … coming to Nevada and asking our team, ‘How do you regulate sports betting? And what is your relationship with your licensees and sportsbooks? ‘” Douglass Morgan said.
Courtesy of the Las Vegas Raiders
As teams and leagues attempt to navigate headline-grabbing scandals and potential sports betting pitfalls, Douglass Morgan has brought a wealth of knowledge and experience in responsible gaming and integrity.
She said sports betting is still in its infancy and education about the game and all its rules is paramount for all sports people.
“Making sure that everyone – and not just the players, every employee of a club, whether on the side of the football team or on the side of the commercial organization – knows the rules, is aware of certain traps,” she said.
As sport and gaming intertwine and evolve across the country, the nation’s gaming capital has emerged as a premier sporting destination.
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 an MLB team, the Oakland Aces. It has already adopted its WNBA Aces and NHL Golden Knights.
Courtesy of the Las Vegas Raiders
The success of the sport in Las Vegas is personal to Douglass Morgan, who hails from the city and raises his children there. As head of the Raiders, she said she can help influence philanthropic and educational opportunities that improve the quality of life in her community.
What about her history as president of the Raiders?
“I feel responsible for making sure that I don’t take this position for granted. I know that just being named 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.
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