Phil Ruffin and Lanni's Sons Join Las Vegas Casino Management

Nevada regulators approved the licenses of two new senior executives on Thursday, October 22. In separate unanimous decisions, the Nevada Gaming Commission approved Christopher Ruffin, son of Circus Circus owner Phil Ruffin, and Sean Lanni, son of the late MGM Mirage chairman and CEO Terry Lanni.

The two men share a surname connection, but their job descriptions and levels of day-to-day involvement differ widely. Christopher Ruffin was approved to serve as vice president of Circus Circus. However, he said he will continue to live in Wichita for the time being. He currently serves as general manager of the Hyatt Regency Wichita, which is owned by his father, and in recent years has been expanding the family's real estate holdings in Kansas.

Ruffin told regulators that his license is primarily related to estate planning. His sister, Michelle Ruffin-Stein, was approved for the same title in August for similar reasons. Although Ruffin said he has no plans to move to Las Vegas in the near future, he did not rule out returning in a more active role later on.

Sean Lanni's situation reflects a more established operational responsibility. Lanni, who is chairman and chief operating officer of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Aria and Vdara, will now add Park MGM to his portfolio. Because he had recently gone through a similar licensing process, the board did not require him to appear in person.