Nevada Still Reluctant to Regulate Lottery in the State

Nevada continues to be adamant when it comes to state lotteries – it’s just a no-go in the Silver State, despite its wide-spread gambling industry.

The latest attempt to legalize this particular aspect of gambling came a cropper last Friday when Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager confirmed that AJR5 had failed to garner the necessary momentum to move any further, despite the state being on the cusp of what appeared to be a historic decision.

Nevada’s Lawmakers Block Lottery Prospects – For Now

The idea behind AJR5 was to leave it up to voters to decide, but lawmakers have so far been gatekeeping the issue themselves. If AJR5 had succeeded during the current legislative session, it would have allowed Nevadans to cast a ballot in 2026 themselves.

However, lawmakers may not be reluctant to push forward with a lottery out of spite, but rather out of practical considerations. For example, a lottery may fail to muster quite the same financial impact that other states enjoy.

There are still other challenges. According to Yeager, the state faces further economic uncertainty because of the current administrating tying federal grants with toeing the party line, but this does not change the fact that Las Vegas, as popular as it is, may face a downturn in tourism caused by neighboring counties deciding not to spend their money in Sin City.

In the meantime, the Culinary Union shared a poll conducted by David Binder Research in March, which indicated that the vast majority of Nevadans are in favor of legalizing the state lottery. Some 84% of residents answered in the affirmative and said that they would vote in favor of legalization if offered the chance.

“The Nevada Legislature must act now and introduce a bill that would amend the Nevada Constitution to allow a state lottery system to be created, hold hearings in the Assembly and Senate, and pass the legislation so that it can go to the ballot and allow voters to ultimately decide,” Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union, stated in a press release.

Public Demand for Lottery in Nevada Is Surging

However, the current legislative session has put a stop to these plans, even though residents are still driving to California and Arizona to buy tickets and participate in the lottery.

Other than that, local companies who run casinos may be loath to see the lottery legalized, as a new vertical could detract ever so subtly from their revenue, even though the casinos rely heavily on tourism to generate the bulk of their revenue.

The fact remains that Nevada is probably the best-known state for its gambling industry, but it is still missing this final stroke. In the face of mounting public demand, however, the question is when, not if Nevada is going to get its own lottery.