Sandra Douglas Morgan of the NFL Raiders on US sports betting

Sandra Douglas Morgan has seen a lot of change in the five years since she was appointed to the Nevada State Gaming Commission.

The same year that she became a gambling regulator, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the legalization of sports betting. Since then, 32 other states and Washington DC have launched sports betting.

During this time, Douglas Morgan rose from gaming regulator to chairman of the Nevada Board of Gaming Control and then to the casino giant’s corporate board of directors. Caesar Entertainment. She is now president of the Las Vegas Raiders and has made history as the first woman of color in the NFL to lead a team.

Douglas Morgan said her black and Korean ancestry may have helped bring her into the spotlight, but she cited her work outside of the sports world as being key in bringing diversity to the Raiders’ front office.

“It was exciting. I am incredibly happy that I was given these opportunities, you know, thanks to my skills and my experience,” Douglas 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, Douglas Morgan stepped into a consulting role to help determine how other states adopted sports betting, just as the gambling gold rush began. games.

“You had states and different jurisdictions… you came to Nevada and asked our team: “How do you regulate sports betting? And what is your relationship with your licensees and bookmakers?” Douglas Morgan said.

As teams and leagues try to navigate high-profile scandals and the potential pitfalls of sports betting, Douglas Morgan brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the areas of responsible gambling and integrity.

She said that sports betting is still in its infancy and learning about gambling and all of its rules is of paramount importance to anyone involved in sports.

“Make sure that everyone – and it’s not just the players, every employee of the club, whether it’s a football team or a business organization – knows the rules, knows about some of the pitfalls.” She said.

As sports and gambling combine and develop across the country, the country’s gambling capital has become its own preeminent sports destination.

Las Vegas will host the Super Bowl for the first time in 2024 at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Raiders, the NFL’s first urban franchise. Vegas is also looking forward to its first F1 race this fall and is courting the MLB team, the Oakland As. He has already hosted his WNBA aces and NHL Golden Knights.

The success of the sport in Las Vegas feels personal to Douglas Morgan, who is from the city and raises her children there. At the helm of the Raiders, she said she can help influence charitable and educational opportunities that will improve the quality of life in her community.

And the history she makes as President of the Raiders?

“I really feel responsible for making sure I don’t take this position for granted. I know that just being appointed president can inspire, you know, women, girls and people from all walks of life to know they have opportunities in sports management,” she said.