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Nevada Working to Lift Decades-Long Ban on State Lottery
By Jeff Osienya May 13, 2023 IndustryNevada is looking into bringing back the state lottery in a bid to generate income for good causes such as mental health initiatives. Here’s a highlight of the state lottery measure that was recently tabled in the Senate, and its potential for passage.The Silver State’s decades-long ban on a state lottery could soon be a thing of the past after the Senate recently took a second look at proposed legislation on a revival of a state lottery. While the news of the legislators’ progress on the matter is welcome, there’s still a long way to go before we can say that Nevada’s state lottery is making a comeback.
This push to bring back the state lottery is being driven by Assistant Majority Leader Cameron ‘CH’ Miller (D- North, Las Vegas). He introduced the Assembly Joint Resolution 5 to the legislature back in February, thereby kickstarting what is anticipated to be a long-drawn-out process that could lead to a landmark moment for Nevada.
Miller’s Assembly Joint Resolution proposes the amendment of Nevada’s constitution and to introduce a state lottery along with the opportunity to sell games of chance tickets. So far, the legislative process is going on well for the initiative with the statute going through the Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections back in March.
The lottery bill successfully cleared the Nevada Assembly on a 26-15 vote recently and is now in the hands of the Nevada Senators. And in case you are wondering, this is by no means an easy thing to achieve. As a matter of fact, there were some shocked in Nevada that the bill even managed to clear the legislative committee.
Driving the State Lottery Agenda For a Worthy Cause
Should a state lottery see the light of day once again in Nevada, Miller’s bill proposes that its proceeds be channeled to fund youth mental health services. This follows a 2022 study by Mental Health America that worryingly ranked Nevada last among all the states and in the entire District of Columbia when it came to mental health.
It’s also worth pointing out that Miller’s push for the mental health program through state lottery funds stems from the mental health problems he encountered as a child. So, owing to his personal experiences, it is easy to see why he is so passionate about the passage of this bill for the benefits it would bring to Nevada’s mental health initiative.
Miller further pointed to the rampant cases of mental health problems in Nevada as direct a result of the inadequacy of infrastructure to combat mental health problems. How he sees it, using state lottery proceeds for this cause will make a ton of difference.
Nevada Casino Resorts Oppose the Lottery, Culinary Union Shows Support
The fight by Miller and his colleagues to bring back the state lottery to Nevada faces a formidable adversary in the form of the general casino resort community in the state. The casino resort owners fear that the re-introduction of the state lottery would hurt their resort business. Consequently, the casino owners assert that it would lead to job losses, a general reduction in revenue, and generally hurt the State’s economy which is quite reliant on the booming casino industry. This best explains why a state well-known for its numerous casino resorts, remains to be one of only five states in the country, yet to establish a state lottery.
Well, while some of the fears of the Nevada casino resort owners may be justified, their argument doesn’t hold much weight from the standpoint of supporters of the state lottery. Miller and team have pointed to the more than two dozen states already running state lotteries as proof that casino resorts won’t be affected. When asked about his thoughts on the opposition from the casino resort owners, Miller said:
Quote“Many of our gaming partners in our state also operate in different states, successfully, that also have lotteries. We’re in a unique position to be able to take the greatest gaming minds that are in the world and create something uniquely different by bringing our gaming partners to the table and partnering with them on what a lottery could look like in our state.”
Meanwhile, the labor group representing casino workers across Nevada has unequivocally thrown its weight of support behind the move to bring back state lotteries. The union which also has a strong political standing in Nevada, expressed its support of the move through its Secretary General Ted Pappageorge. Ted aptly said that the state lottery would allow the state to fund other programs without the need to increase taxes.
The Return Of State Lotteries Is still Quite Far Away
The race to overturn the decades-long ban on state lotteries in Nevada is more of a marathon rather than a sprint. There remains the realistic possibility that some amendments would be proposed to be included in the bill by Nevada senators which could derail the process even further.
And in the unexpected event that the bill sails through without any amendments, then the statute would need to go back to the assembly, in two years during the chamber’s 2025 legislation session. In 2025, the bill would then need another approval from the assembly for it to then proceed to the Senate once more. Should it be approved by the Senate, Nevadans will then get to have their say on the matter in a constitutional referendum.
A simple majority should do the trick and then, Governor Joe Lambardo(R) will then be mandated to sign the bill into law. So, if you’re hoping for a resolution to this matter soon, you might want to lower your expectations and practice patience. You’ll definitely need it!
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