It should be no surprise that the one state in the US best known for gambling has an active online gambling industry. However, it is restricted to just sports betting and online poker. With all the land-based casinos and slot machines dotting the Nevada landscape you would think that online casino gambling would be a natural, but it is not. The reality is that online casino gambling is not legal within the state.
But there are social casinos online that have been set up by the hundreds of land-based casinos. The difference is that these do not require real money. Instead, they operate solely on tokens and sweeps coins. This is the only form of online gambling in Nevada. The best part is, that these sites offer table games and slots as you would expect in any other online gambling venue. Check this Tropicana online casino review for details.
When Will Nevada Legalize Online Casinos?
Oddly enough, with the trend in recent years of other states legalizing online casinos, it only makes sense that Nevada will do the same. But, as it turns out, there is nothing firm on the topic at this point. There isn’t even a timeline at the legislative level that hints at the subject as even being on the table. Online casino gambling was not an issue simply because Nevada has countless land-based sites, legal online sportsbooks, and online poker. But that all changed.
The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act
It was in 2018 when the US Supreme Court abolished the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). With that move, it permitted each individual state to make online sports gambling legal. It took some time, but once a few states proceeded, others followed after discovering how lucrative a stream of revenue online sports betting could become. Several states have gone as far as legalizing online casinos. Nevada is one of the few holdouts on that front. The social casino concept, which does not use real money for wagering, is the way around that hurdle created by land-based casinos in the state.
Who Will Offer Online Casinos In Nevada?
That is an interesting question. When you consider that the majority of the major land-based casino operators currently have social casinos online, there is an obvious possibility. With these social casinos already in operation, it should be an easy transition for them to switch to real-money online casinos. It’s a logical choice to permit these established social sites the opportunity to be the first ones legalized. Again, there is no clue as to whether or not the legalization of online casinos is even a consideration of the Nevada state legislature.
What About Mobile Gambling Apps?
This is also another good question. Should Nevada legalize online casinos, you can bet that mobile apps will become the main tool to access these sites. There are already well-established mobile apps in place for the major online sportsbooks legalized in the state. They already have the mobile infrastructure so adding casino software should be a no-brainer. It also means that mobile casino apps will permit new operators to enter the Nevada online gambling landscape. Naturally, all of this would have to be licensed and regulated through legalization.
The Casino Games To Expect
Nevada is an interesting state when it comes to gambling. There are land-based casinos, legal sportsbooks, and online poker. With all the casino activity, it is a bit shocking to discover that the digital market does not include online casinos. But let’s imagine for a few moments that the state legislature is going to loosen its grip on online gambling. What gambling opportunities will be the most likely choices for online legalization? Here is a look at what could be possible.
Lottery
Think about this for a moment. Nevada is a gambling mecca. There are slot machines in some of the most unusual places in the state. However, Nevada does not have a state-run lottery. It is one of just five US states that don’t. There have been several attempts at the state government level to change that, but so far, it has not materialized.
Online Blackjack
This already exists in the social casino offerings so it would not be difficult to convert to real money since the infrastructure already exists. The benefits of social casino online blackjack include providing a practice space for new players and speed as opposed to playing at a poker table in a land-based casino.
Online Poker
There is only one place Nevada residents can access online poker. It is through the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Nevada site. It was first launched in 2013 and has since become the largest online poker room in the US. There are many popular varieties of online poker to play and players must be 21 and living in Nevada. There are only two other states that offer online poker.
Online Slots
Slots are a big deal in Nevada. There are well over 160,000 of them in just the land-based casinos throughout the state. Social casinos also have a vast selection of these popular machines. Because they are so easy to play with little or no skill required, legalizing online slots would be a real cash cow for the state generating massive revenue for operators and the regulators.
Roulette
Online roulette would be another popular choice for legalization. Players are familiar with many of the betting combinations that come into play with roulette including even/odd, red/black, high/low, and picking individual numbers or sets of numbers.
Live Dealer Games
In recent years, live dealer games have become the norm in many online casinos. Essentially, an online casino has a section where blackjack and roulette games are offered by a human dealer. The games are transmitted to the online casino room in a video format. It is not available in all states but it would be an obvious choice if the big land-based casino operators moved away from social casinos and implemented online casinos if legalized.
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of considerations to factor into the decision to legalize online casinos in Nevada. However, when you think about it, of all the places in the world where online casino gambling should be legal, Nevada is the place.
