For the average person, the word Nevada conjures up visions of massive casino hotel resorts filled to capacity with gamblers, noise, and excitement. As it turns out, that pretty much describes a normal day on The Strip in Las Vegas or inside one of the many gambling outlets that populate the state. Gambling is a huge draw and is responsible for a large chunk of tourism revenue enjoyed by the state annually. But it didn’t happen overnight and thanks to some creative laws regulating gambling in Nevada, the Silver State has continued to set the pace on successfully using gambling as a tool to revitalize the region. Let’s take a closer look at what laws have been passed that have created this interesting environment of success.
1 – Five People Make All The Decisions
The Nevada Gaming Commission approves new gaming laws and takes action on recommendations made by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. The Control Board handles the regulation of gambling and the enforcement of gambling laws. The Gaming Commission approves, or rejects, gambling licenses and is a body that is made up of five individuals who are appointed to their positions by the Governor. One of them is appointed Chairman and all serve a four-year term. They have the power to adjudicate disputes and have the final say on any rulings that are passed down.
2 – The “Catch-All” Term
In Nevada, there are many different gambling products. They range from casinos and sports betting to bingo and online gambling sites. However, all of these different forms of gambling are covered by very different regulations that have become law. When speaking about any of the different laws governing the various forms of gambling, they are referred to as simply the Nevada Gambling Law. Sure, the conversation could be focused on land-based casinos or charitable fundraising activities but rather than each of these having separately named laws, they all fall under one.
3 – Small Counties Do Not Have Casinos
Although casino gambling is the biggest hook for tourism that Nevada has, the Nevada Gaming Commission won’t issue licenses to establishments based in communities in counties that have a population of less than 700,000. That is why you don’t see casinos in every medium and small-sized community in the state. It is their way of ensuring that the local population base can support the addition of a casino to their local economy. Just so you know, as of 2020, there were 441 land-based casinos in operation throughout Nevada. Most of them are in the Las Vegas/Reno areas.
4 – Sports Betting Is On
Nevada is not the only state to offer sports betting. However, it is one of the few that have legalized both online and retail sports betting. And the Nevada Gaming Commission has been generous with the licenses as there are currently over 100 venues in place that can legally accept sports bets. Plus, to provide the full meal deal for sports bettors, there are plenty of wagering options plus access to sporting events from all the major markets. Add to this the extensive event coverage available at retail sportsbooks and you quickly understand why the NGC has been putting in the effort to cultivate this market. To find out more, check this site.
5 – Casino Employees Can Place Certain Bets
The Nevada Gaming Commission set the age limit for all gambling establishments at 21 years old or older. This is the standard across the country. The NGC has also implemented that age limit for anyone seeking to work at a land-based casino. Although casino employees are forbidden from participating in any form of gambling, there are a couple of exceptions. To prevent a possible conflict of interest allegation, if you work at a casino you can bet on poker or off-track pari-mutuel wagering but nothing else. You would think casino employees would be completely banned from doing so, but not in Nevada.
6 – No Skipping Over The State Line
As relaxed as the Nevada gambling laws appear to be, there is one that gamblers cannot get around no matter how hard they may try. It has to do with your location. Online gambling laws in the state require gamblers to remain within Nevada when placing wagers online. Geolocation software is used at gambling sites to identify where bettors are located and if you are found to be in California while betting on Nevada sites, your access will be automatically blocked until you return to the Silver State. This is a standard common with other parts of the country.
7 – There Is No State Lottery
The gambling laws in Nevada are typically referred to as being liberal. However, when it comes to lotteries, the NGC is clear on why they do not permit them and have created a complex series of laws related just to lottery games. Although social gaming has been around for a while, lotteries are a no-go regardless of the cause or purpose of the draw. The reason for this is that the casino industry has indicated that lotteries could potentially cut into casino profits and since there is such a high saturation of casinos, lotteries on a state-wide format are not going to surface anytime soon.
Summary
The Silver State’s tourism industry owes a great deal to the casino industry. With a board of five members making all the decisions related to the licensing and formulation of laws regulating gambling in Nevada, you could say things have turned out well. Nevada offers some of the best venues in the world for gambling and entertainment and the state has set the pace on the number of licensed venues located within its borders – both land-based casinos and sportsbooks. Online gambling is also taking off in the state adding a whole new stream of income to the already well-established casino industry. How they did it resulted from a few unusual laws that were tailored to the needs of the state and ended up creating an amazing piece of gambling history.
