Nevada Gaming Commission Implementing Online Gaming Self-Exclusion List

Posted on: June 1, 2021, 10:48h. 

Last updated on: July 19, 2021, 03:06h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

The Nevada Gaming Commission has amended its regulations to require the state to establish and maintain a self-exclusion list for internet gaming sites.

Nevada Gaming Commission self-exclusion iGaming
Nevada Gaming Commission Chair John Moran is seen on the right next to Nevada Gaming Control Board Chair Brin Gibson in April of 2021. State gaming regulators recently signed off on a self-exclusion list for online gambling sites. (Image: Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Earlier this month, the NGC approved changes to Regulation 5A, which covers online gambling. The commission backed requiring the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) to create and manage a state-wide list of individuals who want to opt-out from having access to interactive online gaming. 

The Board shall update the state-wide list of individuals who have self-excluded each day and provide operators with access to the list,” the NGC declared.

The self-exclusion list for iGaming only prevents a person who added their name to the directory from accessing online sites. It would not prohibit that individual from entering a land-based casino and gambling. 

For now, the self-exclusion iGaming list will primarily deal with online poker. Nevada currently limits online gambling to peer-to-peer poker games, the poker pools including players from inside the state, as well as in New Jersey and Delaware. Technical details are presently being finalized for the online gaming self-exclusion process.

iGaming Considerations

The Nevada Gaming Commission’s actions regarding the implementation of a self-exclusion list for online gambling sites is in anticipation of the state reviewing whether other forms of iGaming should be authorized. 

Last month, the NGCB announced plans to hold a workshop to discuss whether Nevada should join a handful of other states in legalizing full-scale online casinos with interactive slot machines and table games. Only Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia currently have such legal iGaming.

The NGCB says the meeting will additionally review if Nevada should terminate the current mandate of requiring sports bettors to create their mobile wagering account in person. 

The Control Board, which the NGC oversees, will host the discussion once the Nevada Legislature concludes its 2021 session later this month. 

The importance of online gaming for casinos was made evident during the 2020 pandemic. The American Gaming Association reports that land-based commercial casinos missed out on 45,600 operating days last year because of state-ordered shutdowns. 

Self-Exclusion Importance

The Las Vegas Review-Journal caught up with Alan Feldman, a distinguished fellow at UNLV’s International Gaming Institute, who revealed that there’s no evidence that self-exclusion lists lead to reduced occurrences of problem gaming. However, they can play a critical role in assisting those who want help.

“The act of signing up for it is a very validating and affirming action because it is now that moment where you’ve said, ‘I need to do something,’ and that often is a critical moment in a problem gambler’s journey,” Feldman explained. “Does it actually do anything for them? Do they have a better outcome? Not really, but I wouldn’t throw it all away because of that.”

Those who do self-exclude from iGaming can regain interactive gaming access by completing a form requesting their removal. However, that can only take place 30 or more days after the individual initially self-excluded.