Reel Lives: BetMGM’s Sarah Brennan On Compliance, Working In Politics, And Coping With Tragedy
The industry veteran opens up about challenges in both her personal and professional life
10 min
Every gambler has a story to tell. And so does every person who chooses to make a living in this unique industry.
In our “Reel Lives” series, Casino Reports shines a spotlight on people working in the gaming business, from executives, to analysts, to media members and communications pros, and all points in between.
The subject in this interview: BetMGM Senior Director of Compliance Sarah Brennan, who is both a leader in the industry and, as you’ll learn, an inspiration in the face of adversity in her life outside of work.
Casino Reports (CR): What is the best thing and the worst thing about working on the compliance side of the gaming industry?
Sarah Brennan (SB): I’m a Virgo and have been a rule follower since day one! Since I organically crave structure and perfectionism, my career in compliance is especially fulfilling for me. I’m a very social person and enjoy working with our gaming regulators across the country, as well as internal and external stakeholders; being able to bring these groups together is one of the best parts of my role as senior director of compliance. I’m a problem solver, and I thrive when we’re able to constructively work through an issue to find the best solution. Navigating the regulatory framework of so many jurisdictions is probably the most taxing part of my role at BetMGM, but the complexity of what we do is also what attracted me to this job and industry.
CR: You joined BetMGM in January 2020, which, in retrospect, was a tricky year to start a new job. What were the early months of COVID like for you, with the world going into lockdown when you’d only been on the job for about two months?
SB: Personally and professionally, 2020 was a transformative year for me. On a personal level, this period was representative of a fresh start for my then-4-year-old daughter and me, as we’d just moved into our own condo together. It was our first place together as just Mommy and Maddie. Professionally, I was equal parts nervous and excited to start my new job. I remember feeling so much pride in having been hired by the organization and in myself for taking this professional risk for the long-term benefit of my daughter and me. I’d left a comfortable position at another gaming organization to venture into the rapidly expanding sports betting industry, and I so clearly remember the feeling of arriving at our Jersey City office for the first time. Seeing the views overlooking the New York City waterfront and walking into this bold new venture — it felt like exactly where I needed to be.
Fast forward, and we’re all being sent home two months later amidst the global uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. We all thought we’d be back in the office in a couple of weeks, and I was disappointed that my first business trip with BetMGM had been canceled.
As the severity of the pandemic became more clear, BetMGM had no choice but to rapidly adapt to this new normal over the course of the following year. Our leadership team and my co-workers were more authentic and transparent with one another during this time than anything I’d ever experienced in a professional setting. Our CEO Adam Greenblatt began hosting companywide meetings via “Teams” calls three times a week. This was an opportunity for him to give business updates and align the organization strategically while we were spread out across the country — but also served as a platform to check in with the entire team with genuine sincerity. These interactive sessions kept us all connected and served as our point of center for the next couple of years.
I felt so fortunate to be able to continue working during this period when so many others had been furloughed or had their businesses closed. Our industry was one that actually picked up speed during the pandemic, and we continued to expand into new jurisdictions and added headcount. There was so much uncertainty in the world outside my door, but I felt so privileged to work for an organization that kept moving forward despite it all, while also having the ability to be home full-time with my daughter.
There were many late nights and stressful sprints toward state and product launches over the course of that year, but looking back on it I’m beyond grateful for the unique position I was in during that period to have had such a significant impact on our business. The work my team was able to accomplish under the circumstances of the pandemic was foundational to what the business is today. We launched in 11 states in a year! It was really groundbreaking work, and I couldn’t be prouder to have been a part of it, despite the stressors and unforeseen challenges along the way.
CR: How would you describe the learning curve for legislators and regulators over your four-plus years with BetMGM, as it pertains to online gaming, sports betting, etc.? Do you have to do less hand-holding on how things work than you used to, or is that still a heavy lift sometimes?
SB: The entire industry has matured significantly over the last five years. Existing regulation across the country can effectively be looked at holistically as a “playbook” for jurisdictions embarking on the launch of online gaming. This playbook — built on the successes and the opportunities in other jurisdictions — can be extremely beneficial to state legislatures looking to draft gaming legislation as well as to state agencies assigned with the implementation of online gaming regulations in their jurisdiction. It’s easier now to look around the proverbial “room” and see what’s working across the country and attempt to emulate that. There are obvious jurisdictional differences that necessitate specificity in regulations — tribal compacts, parish restrictions, market restrictions, etc. — but legislators and regulators have more opportunity to learn from each other than ever before.
BetMGM has had the advantage of being one of the first big players in the industry and forming strong regulatory relationships across the country as we have navigated nearly 30 new state launches.
CR: You have experienced major tragedy in your life, losing your husband last year and your twin brother shortly prior. To anyone who experiences something similar and is struggling to move forward with their life or to get back to work, what key piece or pieces of advice would you offer?
SB: The loss of my twin brother and my husband has been devastating to me. I lost them within a year of one another and in the immediacy of those losses, I don’t really think I saw a path forward to where I am now. I was crawling through life day by day in survival mode.
I think to say you “move forward” is a fair statement because grief and loss are ever-present in everything I do. No matter the time that continues to roll along, you’ll never get over tragic loss — you just learn to carry it. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work for compassionate leadership who has made space for my grief in the midst of our business. In particular, Rhea Loney, BetMGM’s chief compliance officer and my boss, makes a direct effort to always check in on me to see how I’m doing. Our weekly one-on-ones start with her asking how I am personally ahead of any business agenda — regardless of how chaotic our work day might be. I feel wholly supported on the “good” grief days and the heavy ones. That’s been an invaluable element to my ability to persevere and continue to move forward — knowing that I can be authentic/vulnerable in my grief in the workplace, and that while I may still have moments where the wave of grief hits me as though my losses occurred yesterday, my leadership team and my direct reports have never treated me like my grief takes away from my ability to be a crucial member of the business.
That said, I know not everyone has the same support system in their professional life, and so the advice I’d give to anyone faced with insurmountable tragedy is that everything matters — and nothing matters. This epiphany struck me recently, and I have thought about it a lot. Regardless of who you are, what your job is, what your family dynamic/work environment is, you have exactly one life to live and one chance to make the most of it. I think about my twin brother and my husband and the fact that they never get another chance to do any of this, and we, their families, never get a chance to go back and change any time we had with them.
So, I’m trying to realize that every moment of life matters — every interaction you have with a family member, friend, neighbor, co-worker — everything matters so much and each experience in our lives is invaluable. Make sure that you’re leaning into life and into yourself. Because you matter — your presence matters, your grief matters, your ability to look at life and see that there’s more yet to come matters. Every moment is a memory.
When I say conversely that “nothing matters,” it’s aligned with the adage “don’t sweat the small stuff.” Make decisions that suit you. Say no to what is insignificant in the end. Say yes when you have no good reason not to. Make mistakes and move on. Apologize when you hurt someone. Think twice before you act rashly. Let people love you, let people dislike you. Look to your future and try to see the trees through the woods. At the end of our days, the inconveniences we sometimes dwell on do not matter! But living a life that’s authentic, genuine, compassionate, loving, brave … all of those matter.
So go out and live. Find joy in the midst of sorrow because grief can’t exist without love and happiness, and joy and happiness can’t exist if you don’t let go once in a while and let yourself feel it all.
CR: You previously worked in politics for a few years. Do you ever miss working in that sector, or is it more like, “good riddance, never going back”?
SB: I realized in the midst of my “political career” that it likely wasn’t the long-term path for me, but I’ll forever be grateful for the incredible experience my time in politics gave me at such a young age. I was 23 when I started working for Sen. [Joe] Kyrillos, and he demonstrated to me the true meaning of statesmanship, unwavering commitment to the good of the community, and pragmatic leadership. I reflect on my time working in his New Jersey state legislative office and then on his U.S. Senate campaign in 2012 as fundamental to who I am now as a professional in my industry. My experience working for the legislature gave me a deep understanding of the legislative and rule-making process, as well as the regulatory framework of a gaming agency. This experience has been directly applicable in my current role and allowed me to relate exactly to the processes our legislators and regulators are going through. As a result, I’ve been able to successfully guide my team though the process on the operator side.
I’ll always be grateful for my time spent working for Sen. Kyrillos. I was given the unique opportunity to work for a remarkable person who, despite my young age and relative inexperience, always gave me a seat at table. As a young woman fresh out of graduate school starting my career in a male-dominated space where I could have theoretically easily been ignored, I felt appreciated, and my perspective was valued. The political climate today is decidedly more tumultuous than back in 2010-2013 when I was working for Sen. Kyrillos, and I’m certainly grateful I had my experience back then.
CR: What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the online gaming industry over the next couple of years?
SB: I think there’s a laundry list of challenges that we can expect the industry to face in the coming years. Some of these challenges are obvious ones we face today. Varying regulatory standards across jurisdictions that at times risk inadvertent noncompliance among operators is a straightforward one. Other challenges are ever evolving, and operators and regulators will have to continue to work together to ensure we’re protecting patrons from harm, offering competitive products and markets, expanding our businesses in a compliant way, and marketing our platforms with responsible gambling always at the forefront of our minds.
The industry will be challenged with the continued pursuit of the expansion of iGaming in sports wagering states, evolving fraud prevention and risk management measures, increased responsible gambling protections and marketing/advertising restrictions, market restrictions on various bet types, and adjustments to tax rates across the country.
Reel Fast!
What’s your desert island movie that you could watch over and over again and never get sick of?
Stand by Me by Rob Reiner. This was a childhood favorite of my twin brother, older brother, and me, and it reminds me of happier times all together.
As a resident of New Jersey, please rank: Sinatra, Springsteen, Bon Jovi.
That’s tough between Sinatra and Springsteen, but for the sake of the exercise: 1. Sinatra, 2. Springsteen, 3. Bon Jovi.
If we find you in a casino or on the BetMGM app, what game are you most likely to be playing?
Fun fact for you — I’ve never gambled in my life!
Do you have any unusual talents or hobbies?
I ride motorcycles!
What was your first paying job?
I worked at my second-grade teacher’s family farmstand. My daughter now attends the same elementary school as I did, and that same teacher is her godmother!
Favorite MGM property you’ve stayed at anywhere in the world?
The Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi is a gem. The hotel is beautiful, property, pool, and views incredible, and the staff is amazingly kind and hospitable.
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You can keep tabs on Sarah on LinkedIn, or you can just keep an eye out for her zipping by on her chopper.
Previous installments of Reel Lives:
