Nevada Gambling Laws + Statutes
All across the United States the romantic image of the gambler is prevalent. It’s true that most often in life, the reality is no match for the fantasy, but hundreds of thousands of US citizens flock into the borders of Nevada every day of the year in hopes for a small piece of the glory Kenny Rogers used to sing about and Steve McQueen played to perfection in “The Cincinnati Kid.”
The purpose of this page is not just to remind people that they can go to Nevada to legally gamble, (that would be both a waste of time and web space) but to guide both residents and tourists through all the nuances of Nevada gambling laws that govern gambling so that when it comes time to visit the giant oasis in the middle of the desert that is Las Vegas, they will know how to go about gambling in a manner that will leave them safe from any sort of prosecution.
While the federal laws that govern every US citizen state that the law takes no umbrage with a person who merely wishes to bet or wager on a future event or game of chance, they hand down some serious penalties for those who operate illicit gambling operations. While Nevada is the most permissive state towards gambling bar none, they follow this template just about to the letter, only adding superfluous policy as a means of protecting their established legal gaming businesses.
The goal of NevadaGamblingLaws is to help readers to explore the entire legal landscape governing all forms of gambling in Nevada. Along the way, we promise to educate Nevada residents on how to find safe places to gamble particularly when venturing online to do so. But since land-based gaming is so prevalent, we'll get started there.
Nevada Esports Gambling
During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, a lot of Nevada casinos were forced to close, as keeping them open would violate the social distancing protocol needed to keep the people of America as safe as possible from the virus. The Nevada Gaming Control Board, seemingly in response to this, allowed some esports betting to be available as well. Right now, esports betting in Nevada is limited only to betting on one very specific esport, in one very specific league, but it is a step in the right direction.
The esport that is available for betting is the famed shooting game, Counter Strike: Global Offensive. The Counter Strike: Global Offensive league that is available to place bets on is the ESL Pro League, which is one of the most famous and well-known esports leagues, let alone Counter Strike leagues. While this is a limited offering, it comes at a welcome time, and sports bettors know not to look a gift horse in the mouth. So, now it is legal to bet on the ESL Pro League at Nevada sportsbooks!
The Legality of Gambling in Nevada
Nevada is one of the only states in the union that truly has NO legislation concerning the actual act of betting and wagering, absolutely none. While most states have ceased prosecuting gambling years ago, there is almost always a relic law clinging on for dear life, promising all those caught gambling in the state a fine of $50 or something along those lines, but in Nevada there is no such thing. With hundreds of casinos gathered in one city alone, gambling is not only legal but flat out encouraged as the state’s principle means of income. Whether a tourist or resident is hitting the Vegas strip or decides a quiet night in playing poker or placing a bet online is on the agenda, Nevada law will not prosecute them in any way, shape or form.
However, when you’re gambling in Nevada, just be sure your elbows stay above the table. Amongst one of the harshest (and most often enforced!) punishments in the state is for being caught cheating in a Las Vegas casino. While tourists may have images of Mafioso bodyguard types “enforcing” cheating rules in their own way, a quick glance at the law book in Nevada reveals they really only need to get you to the court house. NRS 465.083 classifies cheating as using any sort of device to count cards, partnership or really and methodology other than chance to win at casino games and labels the crime a category B felony. One just the first offense of cheating, an offender can be sent to prison for up to six years and charged a fine of $10,000. Any subsequent charges bring the same penalty with absolutely no option for probation or a suspended prison term. The lesson? Gamble fair!
Laws That Protect Licensed Casinos In Nevada
It’s no secret that not only the city of Las Vegas but the entire state of Nevada makes its bread and butter of licensed and legal gambling, so what does that mean for those applying for a license? While the state of Nevada s more liberal than most about issuing these licenses, a business owner will still have to jump through some hoops and pay a sizeable annual fee just to keep their facility licensed. However, considering the money that sanctioned gambling can pump into a building, most business owners gladly pay their fees every year, and there are usually waiting lists miles long for the next licenses to come available.
One of these licenses is not a signed permission slip to do whatever they like. Although some casinos operate websites, most will not allow you to actually place bets online due to the steep fines and penalties associated with licensed employees who transmit betting information over state lines. In fact, even if a business owner or an employee of a business owner places a bet or transmits information related to a bet on behalf of someone not physically present, they will be guilty of a misdemeanor. This can land them in jail for up to six months and grant them a $1000 fine.
However, this pales in comparison to what faces anyone in Nevada caught facilitating gambling without a license. In accordance with NRS 465.092, this offense is a category B felony which can land the guilty party in prison for up to ten years and bring down a fine upwards of $50,000. This is the kind of legal penalty that ruins lives!
However, this is not to say that anyone who hosts a poker game in their own home among their friends will be treated like a hardened criminal in the eyes of the law, for there is one crucial parameter that must be met in order for one to be guilty of this crime: they must make a profit of the gambling event they are hosting. To be clear, making a profit does not mean making wise bets or wagers or playing with a high skill level and coming out ahead at the end of the night, profiting from gambling entails putting oneself in a position to profit from the event regardless of whether or not they place bets at all.
Some popular methods of doing this include charging admission for the privilege to participate in the event, operating a sportsbook that assumes responsibility for paying out winning bets and collecting from losing bets (usually taking a cut of profits in the meantime) or collecting a “rake” (a small percentage of each pot given to the house as profit) from a poker game. Just so long as a resident of Nevada avoids this specific act, they will be safe from any Nevada legislation concerning gambling.
Betting Laws In Nevada
Nevada Sports Betting Laws
According to Nevada Law chapter 849.14, it is unlawful to bet on any trial or contest of skill, effectively outlawing sports betting from the state of Nevada. However, just as with gambling charges, it’s important to note that the only real targets of these Nevada gambling laws are bookmakers. In fact, even in a case as recent as February of 2015, one of the biggest sports betting rings in Broward County history was broken up, but none of the mere bettors were brought up on charges. It was only the bookmakers and managers of the sportsbook who faced any legal penalties.
Nevada Casino Gaming Laws
Nevada Law has actually exempt “games of skill,” which includes poker, from its legislation. In order for the activity to be completely legal, it must take place within a state licensed poker room, and it cannot be a “banking gameIf one can’t find a suitable, land based casino for all of their gaming needs in Nevada, they’re frankly not trying hard enough. Las Vegas is the gambling capital of the world, and a major tourist destination. Hundreds of miles away from the bright lights of the big city there are signs pointing them towards its direction, and if a live, bustling social gambling scene is what a resident craves, they should be in no short supply at any time, day or night.
In the hundreds of casinos dotting the landscape all across Nevada, all manner of traditional casino games and poker tables are offered for play. No matter what a prospective gambler’s preferred method of play is, they are sure to find dozens of different venues for exactly what they desire. With hundreds of casinos offering upwards of a thousand gaming tables each, there is no chance of walking away from the Vegas strip disappointed.
While these are all well and good for tourists, residents of Nevada may want to avoid some of the large crowds these major casinos attract. For these residents, there are legal Nevada gambling sites. Here they may enjoy legal poker rooms or casino games right from the comfort of their own homes, and maybe, for once, be treated like royalty themselves rather than spending their days serving tourists blowing through their home state.
Chapter 849.086 section (b) defines a banking game as any game in which the house is a participant and plays against other players. In order for a poker room to be legal, every player must have an even chance of winning the game, excepting conditions of luck or skill level.
Legal Gambling Age In Nevada
Since Nevada is the most generous state in the country when it comes to allowing its residents and visitors to gamble, it’s no surprise that it offers the most regulations in order to protect their businesses and allow their residents to gamble safely. One policy that is strictly enforced throughout the entire state is the legal gambling age, Nevada gambling laws say the minimum age to gamble is 21.
It is strongly recommended that any residents wait until they are over this age before they attempt to gamble. Any guilty parties will not only have the state who will hand down not only a large fine but probably some jail time or community service, but the facility in which they are caught. When one is banned from a casino for gambling underage, they are not only banned from that establishment, but from all licensed casinos in Las Vegas. In addition, all money the offender may otherwise be entitled to, including winnings, will be forfeit. Some things in life are worth the wait; legal gambling is one of them.
|
General |
|---|
| 21 |
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Lottery |
|---|
| N/A |
|
Casinos |
|---|
| 21 |
|
Poker |
|---|
| 21 |
|
Pari-Mutuel |
|---|
| N/A |
|
Bingo |
|---|
| N/A |
Where to Gamble in Nevada
On-Land:
On the streets of Las Vegas, one can literally stand in the middle of the sidewalk blindfolded, spin around in a circle before charging ahead and (assuming they do not get hit by a car) stand a roughly 99.9% chance of running into a casino. There is no shortage of facilities to gamble in not only in Vegas, but in surrounding areas. These facilities offer all traditional casino games, poker tournaments, slot machines, and, they are the only place in the country with honest-to-god, sanctioned, land based sports books. If gambling inside a brick and mortar casino is a prospective gambler’s biggest interest and they find themselves in Nevada, it should be a good day indeed.
Online/Web-Based:
In order to avoid some of the crowds or maybe just get out of a casino (the biggest employment opportunity in the state by far) many residents opt to sign up for legal online gambling networks. The businesses have been in operation for decades and offering service to Nevada residents for that entire span of time.
Now, any careful reader is surely wondering how these sites may possibly operate legally in a state that clamps down so hard on any gambling not done in person. The answer here is the same is the prime directive in real estate: location, location, location. Since these domains are established and operated overseas, they are located well outside of not only Nevada, but US jurisdiction.
Since Nevada does not prosecute the mere act of gambling no matter the circumstance and these websites operate legally overseas, this makes for quite a potent cocktail indeed! While the idea of gambling with a foreign business may make some Nevada residents nervous, there is no cause for concern. The benefits of gambling with a legal enterprise far outweigh the cons of gambling overseas - firstly, legal businesses have access to the best security for protecting their clients’ financial information, and any Nevada resident should know that in order to maintain licenses from reputable international gaming commissions, stringent parameters concerning fair play and the efficiency of payouts must be met.
Best Legal Gambling Site For Nevada Residents
BetOnline Sportsbook
Easy Sign Up, Quick Deposits & Fastest Payouts
Despite the active land based community on Nevada, BetOnline has proven to be the fastest growing Nevada gambling site around with thousands of users logging on every day. Whether you’re looking for a sportsbook with the fastest updated game lines in the west, a crowded poker room with thousands of dollars up for grabs in guaranteed cash tournaments or a casino featuring the cutting edge in software, you’ll find it all under one roof.
The best part of BetOnline is the ability to gamble how, when, and wherever you want. Through the use of their top-notch mobile app, you may carry an entire casino around in your front pocket, meaning that no matter where you are in the world, as long as you have a phone signal, you’re close to pressing that one wining bet. If you’re even thinking about online gambling, don’t hesitate; BetOnline.
Other Recommended Nevada Betting Sites
Disclaimer - How To Get More Help
While we vouch for this information as accurate, we are not lawyers and therefore this cannot be considered a legal consultation. Please direct any further questions about Nevada gambling laws to a legal professional or Nevada legal code at https://www.leg.state.nv.us.