Nevada Lottery Support Grows, Latest Polling Suggests
Nevada does not have a lottery
New polling suggests a strong majority of Nevadans want a state-run lottery
Casinos push back against lottery efforts
Public support for a lottery in Nevada continues to grow. That’s according to new polling commissioned by the largest casino workers union in the Silver State.
On Thursday, the Culinary Union reported that a poll it commissioned to determine whether Nevadans support the formation of a state-run lottery revealed strong backing. Conducted by David Binder Research, a San Francisco-based political polling firm with deep ties to the Democratic Party, found that 84% of Nevadans embrace the idea of a lottery.
The Nevada Legislature must act now and introduce a bill that would amend the Nevada Constitution to allow a state lottery system to be created, hold hearings in the Assembly and Senate, and pass the legislation so that it can go to the ballot and allow voters to ultimately decide,” said Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union. “Nevadans deserve a chance to vote on this issue — it’s time to let the people decide.”
Nevada is one of only five states without a lottery along with Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah. Nevada is the only state that allows other forms of commercial gambling like casinos and sports betting.
Nevada Lottery Support Robust
Pollsters at David Binder Research surveyed 500 likely voters to gauge their opinions on a Nevada lottery. Almost seven in 10 said Nevada needs more revenue to fund public services like education, safety, and mental health care. When asked if raising taxes or finding an alternative revenue source would be best, 76% said finding a new revenue stream would be ideal.
Sixty-one percent of the respondents said they strongly support the authorization of a Nevada lottery, with an additional 23% saying they somewhat support such an initiative. Just 7% said they strongly oppose and another 4% answered they somewhat oppose a lottery in the state that is already by far the richest gaming market in the country.
Culinary, which represents non-gaming casino employees like waitstaff, housekeepers, cooks, bartenders, and bellmen, suggests Nevada could allocate lottery revenue for mental health services for adolescents.
Many Nevadans are already playing the lottery by driving into neighboring states, mainly California and Arizona. In Primm, The Lotto Store is just steps across the Nevada-California border where long lines are common when Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots grow to generation-changing amounts. Primm is a roughly 45-minute drive from Las Vegas.
Casino Opposition
Nevada’s gaming industry, controlled by MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, has lobbied lawmakers for decades to keep a lottery at bay. The casino companies argue that the establishment of a lottery would negatively hurt their businesses, which employ more Nevadans than any other business sector.
Culinary says those arguments aren’t grounded in facts. They point to states like Pennsylvania, Mississippi, New York, and Missouri that have robust lottery programs and vibrant casino markets.
Nevada is the only gaming state without a state lottery despite being home to the world’s most famous gaming industry,” the Culinary Union release on the lottery poll declared. “Companies, including Caesars, MGM, Boyd Gaming, Bally’s Corp., Penn Entertainment, and Hard Rock International currently operate casinos in dozens of lottery states like Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island where companies pay tax rates as high as 74% on slot machines and up to 35% on table games.”
In Nevada, casino revenue is taxed significantly less at just 6.75% for properties winning $134,000 or more a month.
https://www.casino.org/news/nevada-lottery-support-grows-latest-polling-suggests/