Nevada Casinos

History Of Gambling In Nevada

Here is a detailed account of the gambling history of Nevada.

• 1864: Nevada was announced as a state.
• 1869: Multiple forms of gambling were legalized.
• 1909: Gaming, including all games based on chance, was outlawed and regarded as a criminal act.
• 1931: Nevada State Legislature legalized wide-open gaming. Governor Fred Balzar signed the bill into law. Legal gaming was introduced by Bank Club in Reno. Northern Club on Fremont Street was awarded the first gambling license.
• 1932: The first luxury hotel ‘Apache Hotel,’ was launched in Las Vegas.
• 1937: The first bingo parlor was launched in Reno.
• 1941: The first hotel-casino, El Rancho Vegas, was established on the Las Vegas strip.
• 1945: According to the latest law by Nevada Legislature, authority regarding gaming licenses was shifted to State Tax Commission. The first tax on gambling was also imposed, which stated that the licensees had to pay 1% tax from the gross earning.
• 1946: The gaming tax came into effect.
• 1947: The state gambling tax was increased to 2% of gross earning by the Nevada Legislature.
• 1948: According to a bill passed by Nevada Legislature, the State Tax Commission was allowed to verify the background information of those applying for a gaming license.
• 1951: A 10% tax is imposed by Congress on sports betting.
• 1955: The establishment of the Gaming Control Board. A further increase in the gambling tax from 3 to 5.5%.
• 1959: Nevada State Legislature creates the Nevada Gaming Commission.
• 1965: Gaming Industry Association was established in Reno.
• 1967: Public corporations are allowed to operate gambling facilities without having each stockholder licensed.
• 1975: Sports betting tax is lowered by Nevada State Legislature, causing a rise in casino-based sports betting.
• 1977: The hotel casinos are required to report all winnings to the federal authorities.
• 1979: The first ‘draw poker’ machine was introduced by IGT.
• 2000: The annual gaming revenue of Nevada surpasses $9.5 billion.
• 2010: MGM Mirage is rebranded as MGM Resorts International. The first mobile app for sports betting was introduced.
• 2013: Interactive online gambling was legalized, which translated to online poker.

Is it Legal to Gamble Online in Nevada?

For those of you who are wondering, ‘Can I gamble online in NV?’, the answer is a bit ambiguous. Currently, there are no online casino platforms in Nevada as the state doesn’t explicitly legalize them. But the rules also don’t outlaw online casino gambling.

So, is online gambling legal in Nevada? Yes. According to the bill passed in 2013, interactive gaming was the term used to allow legal gambling. This term has been translated only into online poker.

In addition, online and mobile sports betting is also fully regulated and legal in Nevada. Consequently, you will find countless sportsbook apps in NV. However, not a single online casino is available in Nevada. However, if you still wish to gamble online, you can lawfully do that by selecting an offshore casino platform. No law exists that criminalizes NV residents from gambling on offshore sites.

To legally play online poker or sports betting on Nevada sites, you must keep a few things in mind. The player must be physically present in Nevada. Plus, he or she must be 21 years or older.

Online Casino

Now we know that legal online gambling in NV is totally allowed-just not at Nevada online casinos. If that’s the case, a question pops up ‘how to gamble online in Nevada?’.

Well, there are many online sites in Nevada that offer poker games and sports betting. Moreover, to access all types of casino games online, you can head over to an offshore casino. Nevada residents can easily and legally enjoy numerous games at casino sites based internationally. However, keep the above-mentioned age factor in mind.

At an online casino site, you can find various game categories. Some of the popular ones are mentioned as follows:

Online Poker

Online poker was legalized a while ago in 2013, and Nevada became one of the first US states to do so. Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware also have a signed agreement that gives players access to multi-state poker. This ensures that NV residents have access to a much wider range of poker games.

 Despite online poker being legal in the state for quite some time, there is only one site available. WSOP, partnered with land-based Caesar’s Casino, is the site available to poker fans in Nevada. This site features a multitude of poker games, including Texas Hold ’em, Omaha, Seven Card Stud, 5-Card Draw, Lowball Draw, and many more. WSOP also frequently holds online poker tournaments. Currently, this is the only site offering real money online poker in Nevada.

Online Sports Betting

Just like online poker, sports betting was legalized in Nevada a long time ago. This includes in-person, online, and mobile sports betting. You can bet on in-state as well offshore sports betting sites. Some notable sportsbook sites available in Nevada include BetMGM, Golden Nugget, Caesars Sportsbook, and WynnBet, to name a few.

Almost every kind of sport and league is available on these sportsbook sites. Some of the major leagues popular in Nevada include:

• NFL – With the home team competing, NFL is a popular league in Nevada.
• NBA – Nevada doesn’t have a home team competing in the NBA, yet it is popular on sports betting sites in NV.
• NHL – With the Vegas Golden Knights playing in NHL, this league is also frequented by sports betting fans.
• NCAA FOOTBALL – Nevada also allows betting on college games. NCAA harbors two college teams in Nevada that players can bet on.
• SOCCER – Nevada has no home team competing in the MLS. Yet, this is a popular sport when it comes to sports betting.

Other sports available in Nevada include rugby, boxing, mixed martial arts, golf, auto racing, tennis, and even Esports.

Online Lottery

Unfortunately, the online lottery is not legal in Nevada. Much to our dismay, but unsurprisingly, Nevada falls in the list of 5 US states that do not offer state lottery games. In addition, it is illegal to purchase a lottery ticket while residing within the NV state lines. With that being said, it is a given that online lottery is also illegal and unavailable.

Online Bingo

Just like the lottery, Nevada does not offer legal online bingo in the state. However, it does allow online gambling at offshore bingo sites. So, you can choose a site like Bingo Bully or Bonus Bingo. These sites offer a variety of bingo games.

You can opt to play 30-Ball Bingo or go for 90-Ball Bingo. All these games are RNG certified to ensure fair gaming. Plus, these online bingo sites also offer multiple bonuses to kickstart a player’s gambling experience.

There are numerous other bingo apps that are available on mobile phones too.

Online Horse Race Betting

Nevada has horse racing tracks available for in-person betting. However, lucky for you, horse race betting in NV is available online too. You can make your bets through the number of sportsbooks available in NV. Different kinds of bets like Straight Win Bets, Each Way, and Quinella can be placed online.

Not only in-state sportsbook apps, but players can also enjoy horse betting at offshore sites too. Some of the legally operating apps featuring online horse race betting include Atlantis Sports App, Golden Nugget, William Hill Nevada, and many more.

Online Sweepstakes

Online Sweepstakes is legal in Nevada as long as they follow the rules and regulations. This implies that the sweepstakes must not require the players to purchase any product or service in order to enter the contest. Plus, the winners must be chosen totally at random.

Nevada frequently hosts numerous online sweepstakes. These contests often have multiple winners and a wide variety of prizes. The prizes range from jackets and shirts to exotic vacations and much more.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Daily Fantasy Sports was a big deal in Nevada up until 2015, when it was announced that the sites were operating illegally. This led to major sites, including DraftKings and FanDuel, pulling out of the site.

Currently, Daily Fantasy Sports are not illegal. But, like every other casino game, they require a license to operate. In light of this, only one company has acquired a license, and that is USFantasy.

Many sports and skill games are available for daily fantasy sports. Some of these are Football, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball, Boxing, Golf, and NASCAR, to name a few.

Is It Safe to Gamble at a Nevada Online Casino?

Yes, it is safe. Nevada offers multiple sites with poker games and sports betting. These sites are totally safe. However, you must be careful to choose a regulated and licensed platform.

If you wish to try Nevada online casino real money, you will have to resort to offshore casinos. Similarly, online slots NV are also not available in the state. So, online casino gaming can only be enjoyed at international sites. The security of these casino sites cannot be guaranteed. You will need to make sure that the offshore casino is licensed by a prominent authority.

In addition, you will have no legal issues while online gambling in Nevada as there are no repercussions on gambling at an offshore casino. But you must abide by the age rule.

The virtual sites offering casino games and sports betting in Nevada are powered by various game providers. Some of the notable ones are as follows:

1. IGT – This is a pioneer in the online gaming industry. IGT is highly recognized for developing exceptional-quality slot games, especially progressive slots. To date, over 150 games can be found in IGT’s portfolio. IGT also features a variety of table games.
2. NetEnt – Another pioneer in the industry is NetEnt. This provider is renowned for producing popular games like Gonzo’s Quest and Mega Fortune. NetEnt also offers table games and live dealer games. NetEnt games function seamlessly on a variety of devices.
3. Evolution Gaming –An industry-leading game provider is Evolution Gaming. This provider, partnered with major casino sites, offers a wide range of games, especially live dealer games. Different stake levels allow players with various budgets to gamble.
4. Betsoft – With a portfolio of over 150 games, Betsoft has quite an impressive collection of games. This collection majorly comprises high-quality 3D slots. However, Betsoft also features table games, including Roulette, Baccarat, and Blackjack.
5. Pragmatic Play – This is a multi-award-winning game provider featuring a collection of over 100 slots. Apart from slots, Pragmatic Play is highly popular for its live dealer games featuring friendly and professional dealers. Many bingo and scratch-off games have also been released by this mobile-friendly game provider.
6. Bally Technologies – Bally is a game provider that is focused on producing slot games. It currently features a little over 90 slot games. No table games have been developed by Bally Technologies. This provider is renowned for producing beautiful and attractive themed games with innovative in-game bonuses.

Gambling Age Law

Every state in the US has its own set of rules, and age limits also vary from state to state. Since Nevada allows both in-state and offshore online gambling, the age requirement varies for both. On Nevada online gambling and sports betting sites, the minimum allowed age according to the Nevada online gambling laws is 21. So, no one below 21 is allowed. On the other hand, if you opt for an offshore online casino, the age limit is 18.

The casino sites also employ the Know Your Customer (KYC) policy to verify the player’s identity. Any attempt at underage gambling is punishable by law.

Land-Based Casinos in Nevada 

Despite the technological innovations that have led to the introduction of online and mobile gambling, some of you might still be looking for land-based gambling hubs. Luckily, Nevada offers countless brick-and-mortar casinos. Since Nevada is commonly regarded as the gambling capital of the world, this comes as no surprise.

To be exact, Nevada currently houses more than 340 land-based casinos. This translates to a huge collection of casino games to cater to a diverse player base. The majority of these are commercial casinos, with only 5 as Indian casinos. Although there are numerous options to choose from, three of the biggest casinos in Nevada are The Venetian, Wynn Las Vegas, and Mandalay Bay Casino and Resort.

Below we have mentioned some other note-worthy casinos with the games they have to offer. Read ahead and take your pick to go gambling.

Will Nevada Regulate Online Gambling In The Future?

It is hard to say what the future of NV online gambling looks like. As Nevada has very few permanent residents, it is almost always crowded with tourists looking for land-based gambling experiences. This fact disregards the need for online casino gambling as the potential player base is expected to be significantly low.

Currently, Nevada is making up most of its revenue from land-based platforms. In 2018, the revenue reached around $711,328,219. Since the economy of Nevada greatly depends on the revenue generated through these land-based casinos, experimenting by introducing online casinos might jeopardize the state’s economy. Hence, looking at the budget limitations and the apparent lack of a potential player base for online platforms, it is quite unlikely to be introduced, at least in the foreseeable future.

However, some movement has been observed as 14 amendments have been proposed to the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC). These amendments are expected to redefine peer-to-peer and non-peer-to-peer gaming. This might pave the way for various online casino games to be approved.