
Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo this week announced the first of two replacements on the state’s three-member Gaming Control Board (NGCB).
Reno deputy city attorney Chandeni Sendall (pictured) will fill the seat vacated by Brittnie Watkins, who recently announced her immediate departure.
Since 2014, Sendall, 41, has held the position of deputy city attorney in Reno. She previously worked in the legal and financial departments of gambling giant Caesars Entertainment, shortly after graduating from the Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada in 2012.
Lombardo will also need to appoint another new board member in three months time, as board chair Kirk Hendrick also recently announced he will be leaving the regulator at the end of the upcoming Nevada legislative session.
“I’m pleased to appoint Chandeni Sendall to the Nevada Gaming Control Board,” said Governor Joe Lombardo in a press release.
“With her unique background in law and compliance, Chandeni will bring fresh insight and critical perspective to the Board. I look forward to her leadership and contributions to gaming oversight in our state.”
Sendall’s Career
Sendall began her career in finance, attending the University of Nevada Reno for an undergraduate degree in economics.
She worked as an auditor at Caesars Entertainment’s Reno offices for three years while studying for a postgraduate degree in finance law at the Boyd School of Law in Las Vegas.
While at law school, Sendall was the editor-in-chief of the University of Nevada Las Vegas Gaming Law Journal. In 2012, after obtaining her second degree, she left Caesars and moved back to Northern Nevada, where she served as a clerk at the state Supreme Court in Carson City.
Three years later, Sendall moved into a commercial practice, representing clients in civil litigation cases. However, after one year, she returned to a public role as a deputy city attorney in Reno. From 2015 until this week, that remained her position.
“I’m grateful to Governor Lombardo for this opportunity to serve the State of Nevada,” Sendall said in the statement from the Governor’s Office.
“Along with my legal background, I look forward to applying my educational background in economics and my work experience in the gaming industry as I begin this new role at the Nevada Gaming Control Board.”
Control Board Changes
Sendall officially begins her term this week. It is set to be a busy time for the NGCB, as a number of important debates on gambling in the Silver State will be held during the upcoming legislative session.
Whoever will take over from Hendrick after that may come in at an easier time, as some of the dust settles after the legislative period ends.
However, they will step up knowing they will be the sixth person in the hot seat in the last seven years.
After Hendrick departs, former Las Vegas judge George Assad will be the most senior member of the Board. But insider reports consider him an unlikely pick to be the new chair.
Sendall’s relative lack of top level regulatory experience may signal she also isn’t in line for a further promotion as Lombardo’s pick.
The NGCB may face some tough questions from Nevada’s politicians during the session. The questions center on its handling of the massive federal investigation into a series of illegal California bookmakers and their alleged money laundering at Resorts World Las Vegas. It may also be called to give its view on a possible Nevada state lottery.

David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.