Posted on: December 19, 2025, 12:13h. 

Last updated on: December 19, 2025, 12:17h.

• MGM’s Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Halkyard and Venetian’s CEO Patrick Nichols have received essential executive licenses from the Nevada Gaming Commission
• Both executives have been operating provisionally for several years due to extended background checks delaying their final approval
• Nichols faced scrutiny regarding compliance following recent money-laundering incidents at Strip casinos

Two prominent executives on the Strip — Jonathan Halkyard from MGM Resorts International and Patrick Nichols of The Venetian — have successfully navigated Nevada’s regulatory process. On Thursday, the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) unanimously endorsed both leaders for crucial executive licenses, according to reports from the Las Vegas Review-Journal. This approval comes several years after they initially assumed their corporate roles.

In Nevada, individuals with direct influence over casino operations are required to possess a key executive license, which ensures integrity, financial accountability, and adherence to gaming regulations.

However, obtaining this license can be a lengthy process, involving thorough background checks that scrutinize litigation histories, financial situations, and international business relationships. During the approval process, executives are allowed to perform their duties provisionally, although they remain in a temporary status until fully approved by regulators.

Halkyard has held the position of CFO at MGM since January 2021, while Nichols became president and CEO of the Venetian in August 2022. Both executives have been operating under provisional status, managing corporate finance and strategy, but without the authority to oversee regulated gaming operations until the recent vote.

Government-Approved Applicants

Halkyard’s career dates back to 1999 at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, leading him to become CFO of Caesars Entertainment in 2006 before taking roles at NV Energy and Extended Stay America.

Nichols joined the Venetian shortly after its Palazzo opening in 2008, following his graduation from Cornell University, and was involved in the launch of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. He served as Senior VP of Strategy and Business Development at the Cosmopolitan in 2018, after initially being the strategic planning director since its inception in 2010. He returned to the Venetian as president and CEO in 2022, under Apollo Global Management’s ownership.

During the NGC meeting on Thursday, as reported by the R-J, Commissioner George Markantonis questioned Nichols about compliance issues, referencing recent money-laundering scandals at Resorts World, Wynn Las Vegas, MGM Resorts, Caesars Palace, and Fontainebleau.

“I do not sit on our compliance committee, but I’ve attended every meeting since I joined the resort,” he responded. “No single customer or decision is worth jeopardizing my reputation, the state’s, or the Venetian’s. Our compliance approach begins with me, and my team is well aware of that.”