Nevada Gaming Commission
The Nevada Gaming Commission is a Nevada state governmental agency involved in the regulation of casinos throughout the state, along with the Nevada Gaming Control Board. It was founded in 1959 by the Nevada Legislature.
The Commission is responsible for administering regulations, granting licenses and ruling on disciplinary matters brought before it by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. It has five members appointed by the governor. Commission members serve for four years in a part-time capacity.[1]
License types
While numerous types of licenses and approvals can be granted by the commission, the key gaming licenses are:
- the restricted gaming license, which applies to the operation of 15 or fewer gaming devices (and no table games) at a single location. The number of restricted licenses changes monthly, but Clark County has around 2,000 restricted licenses, with a cumulative of about 15,000 slot machines as of 2008;
- the nonrestricted gaming license, which is granted for the operation of:
- a property having 16 or more slot machines;
- a property having any number of slot machines together with any other game, gaming device, race book or sports pool at a single location.
Popular culture
In the 1995 film Casino, the Commission denies a gaming license to Sam Rothstein, a character based on Frank Rosenthal and portrayed by Robert De Niro. In actual history the chairman of the Commission at this time was future senator Harry Reid.[2]
In the 2001 film Ocean's Eleven the NGC has a (fictitious) regulation that requires casinos to hold in reserve enough cash to cover every chip in play on their floor. In the film, Matt Damon plays a character who passes himself off as an NGC agent.
Former members
- Harry Reid, Chairman, 1977–1981[3]
- Brian Sandoval, 1998–2001; Chairman, 1999–2001[4]
- Sue Wagner, 1997–2009
References
- ↑ "Gaming Regulation in Nevada" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-08-17.
- ↑ Harry Reid is not boring. – By Chris Suellentrop – Slate Magazine
- ↑ "About Harry Reid", Senate.gov, accessed October 4, 2008
- ↑ "Race for Attorney General: Candidates state cases", Las Vegas Review-Journal, July 15, 2002