Nevada Gaming Commissioner Becomes Part of Incoming Governor’s Office

Nevada Gaming Control Board member Ben Kieckhefer has been appointed as chief of staff by the recently elected Nevada governor Joe Lombardo.

Nevada Commissioner Goes Back to Politics

Nevada gaming commissioner Ben Kieckhefer will resign from the Commission once governor-elect Joe Lombardo assumes office on January 1, 2023.

Republican candidate Lombardo won over the current Democrat party governor Steve Sisolak by a close shave. Lombardo has been a law enforcement officer since 1988 and the seventeenth sheriff of Clark County for 7 years. He was endorsed by former US president Donald Trump.

Lombardo has already announced the members of his transition team with Ben Kieckhefer appointed as chief of staff.

Kieckhefer spent 11 years in the Nevada senate from November 2010 to October 2021 representing District 16. He took a pause from politics for over one year serving as a Nevada gaming commissioner. However, the proposition coming from the incoming Nevada governor was obviously too good to resist. Kieckhefer expressed his excitement about the new role:

I’m humbled by governor-elect Lombardo’s trust in me, and I’m excited to have another opportunity to serve Nevada, a state I love so deeply. Under governor-elect Lombardo, I’m confident that this administration will deliver innovative solutions and historic victories for our great state.

Nevada Gaming Control Board member Ben Kieckhefer

The incoming Nevada Republican governor also elaborated on why he chose Kieckhefer for the position: “Ben has dedicated his life and career to the service of Nevadans, and there is no one more qualified or better prepared for this role. I know that Ben’s exceptional leadership, unmatched integrity, and extensive legislative experience will be an important part of our success in Carson City.”

In addition to his post as Nevada gaming commissioner, Kieckhefer also works as director of client relations at the law firm McDonald Carano. He has been with the company since December 2010.

Kieckhefer – an Advocate for Esports

During his time as a member of the Nevada senate, Ben Kieckhefer advocated for esports by submitting a bill proposal regulating this gambling sector.

Kieckhefer proposed the creation of an Esports Regulatory Commission. His reasoning behind the proposal was that a regulator specifically for esports will enhance and promote a healthy industry and sector and is going to boost growth.

The bill eventually went through some changes and an esports technical advisory committee was established. 

These changes were the result of organizers of esports tournaments and video game publishers expressing their concerns that state regulation of esports may negatively affect the industry.