News that the Nevada Gaming Commission is to discuss amendments to its online poker regulations at next week’s meeting in Las Vegas may have caused some optimistic speculation that expansive changes may be on the horizon, but the Las Vegas Review Journal reports that the regulators will mainly be discussing relatively mundane technical and legislative matters pertaining to the online poker regulatory regime.
Expanding online poker legalisation to embrace other casino games, as has been the case in Delaware and New Jersey, will not be on the agenda, says chairman A.G. Burnett, who advises that online poker must first be “proved out” and has only been operational for six months in Nevada.
However, one issue of wider interest that the Commission is set to consider is an appeal to the state governor to enter into agreements with other states regarding combed player pools, thus creating more consumer appeal through greater player liquidity.
Nevada legislation empowering the governor to do this was passed some time ago, and it is widely known that inter-state discussions have taken place (see previous reports).
The Journal quotes Nevada Assembly Majority Leader William Horne, who said the state’s interactive gaming law only excludes race and sports wagering, and the legalisation of other forms of online gambling is an option for Nevada lawmakers if they wish to act on it.
Horne told the LVRJ: “I believe our intent from the outcome was to take conservative steps. Nothing prohibits (the control board) from going beyond poker and we want our regulatory boards to make that decision. I think we’re taking prudent steps.”