Nevada Gambling Board Views Online Gambling as A Viable Growth Strategy

With the challenges that have faced land-based gambling venues and institutions over the past years, added to the runaway financial success that states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey have enjoyed since regulating online gambling, it comes as no surprise that Nevada is revisiting Regulation 5A.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has announced that it will be hosting a session to hear public opinion on a series of amendments to its current regulatory stance on the “Operation of Interactive Gaming”.

To ensure maximum participation despite health concerns the May 13th debate will offer both in-person and virtual access.

The Status Quo

While online casino games would seem to be a perfect extension of Nevada’s gambling offering the state has been resistant to the idea since online gambling’s boom in the late nineties.

Both Regulation 5A and Regulation 14 refer to “Interactive Gaming Systems” which are defined as:

“A gaming device and means the collective hardware, software, communications technology, and proprietary hardware and software specifically designed or modified for, and intended for use in, the conduct of interactive gaming.”

Despite this allowance, which includes that all gaming servers and databases must physically be in Nevada, the only online gambling which is currently legal in the state is online betting and online poker, the latter was only added in 2013.

Interestingly, Nevada does allow for betting on Esports events such as League of Legends or CS:GO, despite banning any form of lottery within its territory.

This uneven application of gambling law and lopsided approach to gambling has seen the NGCB come under pressure to make significant changes to its policies, starting with Regulation 5A.

Time to Change

Participants in the review of Regulation 5A will be asked to weigh in on the following proposed amendments:

• Removing provisions limiting interactive gaming to the game of poker.
• Defining “peer-to-peer” and “non-peer-to-peer” games more broadly.
• Creating a state-wide list of individuals who have self-excluded from participating in iGaming.
• Making multiple amendments on what is required to be displayed on an operator’s website, player registration, collection of personal information and record-keeping and more.

At a glance it is clear that with the proposed amendments to 5A Nevada will be well on its way to having modernised online gambling framework that will mesh nicely with those already in use and in discussion across the continental US.

This will put in a position to save its flagging land-based gambling operators, and could be the tipping point needed to see online casino gaming gain the acceptance it needs across those states who have been reticent to step out of their comfort zones and grasp this incredible new opportunity.