Nevada Gaming Control Board looks within for new Enforcement Division chief

The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has promoted Kristi Torgerson to be the new chief of its Enforcement Division.

Torgerson, who has been at the Silver State regulator since 1997, has worked as a deputy chief of the Enforcement Division since 2019 and will succeed current enforcement division chief James Taylor, who is due to retire after 27 years at the NGCB at the end of October.

Torgerson’s appointment becomes effective on October 31, 2022.

Before joining the NGCB, she previously served as a counterintelligence agent and interrogator with the US Army.

Torgerson was deputized as an officer with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force for a two-year spell following the September 11 (9/11) terrorist attacks.

The NGCB’s Enforcement Division, which includes employees at five statewide offices, has five main responsibilities when it comes to regulation in the state.

These include gathering intelligence on organized crime groups in the state, recommending additions to the state’s excluded persons list, as well as conducting background checks on work card applicants.

Its final two duties include arbitration of disputes between patrons and licensees, as well as conducting regulatory and criminal investigations.

NGCB chairman J. Brin Gibson highlighted Torgerson’s experience in his statement confirming her promotion.

“Deputy chief Torgerson’s impressive career with the Gaming Control Board, the military, and federal law enforcement should give Nevadans confidence in the safety and integrity of gaming as she begins to lead the Enforcement Division,” Gibson said in a statement.

“As gaming enforcement has evolved from chip theft and slot machine manipulation to issues involving global cybersecurity, Deputy Chief Torgerson will work to ensure the safety of Nevada’s residents and visitors, as well as the continuity of the gaming industry’s benefits to the Silver State’s economy,” he added.