Nevada Gaming Commission Has Its First Female Chair

On Friday, Nevada Senator Ben Kieckhefer and former Judge Jennifer Togliatti were appointed to the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) by Governor Steve Sisolak. With this move, the gambling authority’s regulatory panel of five members will have its first female chair.

Togliatti Becomes The First Female Chair in the Commission’s 62-Year History

Togliatti, who retired in 2019 and is a former district court judge and prosecutor, will officially be the first female chair of the Commission in its 62-year history. Kieckhefer, a Reno Republican, resigned on Thursday and was not eligible to be reelected due to term limits. A day after he resigned, Sisolak appointed him at the Commission.

In a statement, Sisolak shared a few words on the appointments. He said that Togliatti and Kieckhefer are more than qualified for the positions and he is delighted to have them work and continue their service to the state of Nevada by being on board the Nevada Gaming Commission.

The next meet of the NGC is scheduled on October 28, and Togliatti and Kieckhefer are replacing Deborah Fuetsch and John Moran Jr.

NGC Continues to Run the Nevada Gaming Scene

The NGC is in charge of regulating the gambling industry in the state and approves the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s actions. Moreover, it adopts various regulations through which it enforces laws and is the judge in disciplinary proceedings against operators that have a gambling license.

The biggest contributor to the gambling scene in Nevada is Las Vegas, specifically The Strip, which manages to rake in fantastic numbers, even though it slipped during the COVID-19 pandemic.

September of this year proved to be an even better month for the state in terms of revenue as it was the strongest since February. According to the figures, even though they were 22.4% lower year-to-year, Nevada had $821.1 million in revenue, which is a 10.5% month-over-month jump.

The highest contributors were slot machines. Players staked in a total of $8.37 billion. Table games’ total stakes were $1.95 billion and blackjack had a total stake of $417.3 million, while the total stake that players made on baccarat was $487 million.

Nevada managed to rebound from the pandemic and the state’s main goal remains to get the residents vaccinated. In terms of tourism, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority revealed that visitation in Las Vegas rose by 11% in September compared to August, but is still significantly lower compared to the same time last year; 51% less, to be exact. This summer, Nevada proved that it is more than capable of reviving its industry, however, the future remains unpredictable as there are many factors that can influence the casino industry.