Gambling Laws in Nevada

Home of the famous Las Vegas Strip - Nevada is a casino mecca. You might be surprised to learn that not all forms of gambling in the state are legal though.

Which Types of Gambling are Legal in Nevada?

Nevada Revised Statutes 463.010 determine the legalities of gambling, with many activities being permitted in the state. However, most online gambling is prohibited within Nevada's borders. This is mostly because the state wishes to protect its vibrant and successful land-based casino industry.

Two regulatory bodies work together to manage the industry with the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission. 

Online and Offline Casino Games

Casino gambling is of course legal in Nevada. The state is home to what many regard as the centre of the casino gambling industry, Las Vegas. Nevada has more than 330 casinos, with Las Vegas home to at least 75. These casinos offer a variety of games including slots, blackjack, baccarat, roulette, poker and craps.

Interestingly, online casino gambling is illegal. The only exceptions are the existing land-based venues that offer online casino slots and other products to customers. These apps can only be accessed within the establishment that operates them though.

Playing Poker With Cash

Playing poker with real money is legal, with the state home to an impressive 440+ dedicated rooms. Home-based poker games are also permitted if no commercial profiting is involved.

Playing poker online is legal in Nevada, with the situation being somewhat unique. The first online poker site serving the state went online in early 2013 but got off to a bumpy start due to a lack of players. After negotiations on a legal framework, Nevada signed an agreement with Delaware in early 2014 for the two states to pool their poker players, which became a reality in 2015. New Jersey was added in 2017 and Michigan's poker players joined the pool in 2022. Online poker is only offered in the state by WSOP.

Bingo Games

Bingo gambling is legal in Nevada, with the state home to numerous halls. Online bingo gambling is illegal, with the existing bingo halls not permitted to offer their games over the internet. Nevadans may be able to access online bingo casinos to play games, but this is considered illegal.

Lotteries

Lottery gambling is legal but only games offered by charitable/non-profit organisations are permitted. Another surprising fact is that Nevada is one of only a handful of states without a lottery.

Playing online lottery games for real money is a big no-no, with the activity currently being deemed as illegal.

Social Gambling and Crypto Casinos

Social games played in private residences are allowed, as long as no profit is involved. Lootboxes and skins gambling are more modern forms which are yet to be defined and legislated in most US states, including Nevada.

The state is well-known for being open to cryptocurrencies, with exchanges and virtual coin ATMs widely available. You can even use Bitcoin to play casino games in Las Vegas!

Playing at online casinos with Bitcoin is a little more difficult though as the activity it is illegal in Nevada, just like online casinos with traditional money.

What Are the Nevada Sports Betting Laws?

Initially turf clubs only offered sports betting in the state, but in 1975 casinos were permitted to start offering their own sportsbooks. Today many venues offer the activity, which covers traditional sports, eSports, horse and greyhound race betting.

Online sports betting is legal in Nevada too, with many land-based operators offering a mobile betting option to their members.

Daily fantasy sports betting is considered a form of gambling within the current laws. Therefore operators of such contests must be licensed in the state. Currently FanDuel is the only DFS site which offers its services to residents.

Gambling Age Restrictions

The Nevada minimum gambling age is 21 - across the board.

Are Residents in Nevada Liable To Pay Tax on Gambling Winnings?

Yes! Nevada gambling tax regulations mean gambling winnings are subject to a 6.75% state tax, and a 24% federal tax is withheld for winnings over $5,000.

History of Gambling Laws in Nevada

The earliest mention of this was in 1909 when a statewide ban on gambling was implemented. Casino gambling was then legalised in 1931 to help the state recover from the Great Depression.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board was established in 1955 and the Nevada Gaming Commission was created in 1959.

Horse race and sports betting at turf clubs was permitted in 1975 whilst online poker was legalised in 2011.

In 2015, casinos were allowed to offer games of both chance and skill in their establishments. The same year, it was also ruled that daily fantasy sports betting became subject to state licensing rules.

Key Facts

• Casino gambling is legal in Nevada, with the state home to more than 330 casinos, over 75 of which are in Las Vegas.

• Online casino gambling is illegal.

• Poker gambling is legal, with 440+ poker rooms operating in the state.

• Online poker gambling is also permitted, with players pooled from 3 other states.

• Bingo gambling is legal, with numerous bingo halls in operation

• Playing online bingo gambling is illegal.

• Lottery gambling is legal in Nevada, but only in games run by charitable organizations.

• Online lottery gambling is illegal.

• Sports betting is legal in both online and offline forms in Nevada.