In what could almost be guaranteed as a sign that changes to Nevada’s gambling industry are coming, the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) has just taken action to establish a self-exclusion list for iGaming operators. Currently, poker is the only online game in town, but it hasn’t been successful because players still have to register in person. Creating a self-exclusion mandate for online casinos with no online casinos operational can only be seen as a step toward the introduction of a new gaming segment in Nevada.
Online Gaming Gains Popularity
Although the iGaming segment still doesn’t produce the revenue that land-based properties bring in, it is gaining ground every year and the COVID-19 pandemic showed how valuable online casinos can be. The NGC has approved changes to language in Regulation 5A, its guidance for online gambling, that would, among other things, require the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) to create and maintain a list where gamblers can opt-out of online gambling activity if they feel they’re starting to develop a habit. The list will encompass the entire state and will have to be updated on a daily basis.
The list only applies to online gambling, which has to be a sign that changes to Nevada’s gambling scene are coming. The NGCB and the NGC have been discussing the possibility of expanding Nevada’s online gaming activity, as well as dropping the in-person registration requirement for poker and sports gambling, but no definitive indication that iGaming is coming has been announced. If the gaming regulators decide to move forward with the development of an iGaming market, Nevada would join Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia as the only states to currently offer legal online slot machines, table games and more. Connecticut will soon be added to that list and several other states are also considering similar measures.
NGCB Welcomes Input on iGaming
The NGCB is going to hold a public workshop tomorrow regarding the changes to the NGC’s Regulation 5A, according to a notice on the NGC website. The meeting will be held at the Board’s offices in Las Vegas starting at 11 AM local time, and will be streamed live on Zoom to give the public an opportunity to provide input on the changes. In-person attendance is possible, as well.
Among the topics to be discussed will be the removal of “provisions limiting interactive gaming to the game of poker and to make related amendments” from the regulation, as well as amendments to how gross revenue is calculated. Also on the agenda is an opportunity to discuss “rules for all games offered” by an iGaming operator and “provisions related to compensation received by an operator” for the activity they provide. While land-based casinos may not be overly enthusiastic about the idea of iGaming coming to Nevada, they had to realize that it was only a matter of time before the segment arrived.