New Nevada Gaming Commission Chair Has A Lot On Her Plate

Former Judge Jennifer Togliatti made history in October when she was appointed as the chair of the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC), marking the first time a woman has held this position in the 62 years of the NGC’s existence. This appointment is considered significant.

Togliatti, who previously served as a prosecutor and a District Court Judge for Clark County, earned her bachelor’s degree from UNLV in 1989. She then secured a Juris Doctorate from the California Western School of Law in 1993.

Togliatti lacks experience in the casino and gaming industry. However, she doesn’t consider this a disadvantage. She recently shared with the Nevada Independent:

I believe I still have much to offer in public service, and I saw this as a fascinating and fresh challenge for me.

Togliatti will not have the luxury of easing into her new role. Instead, she’ll be diving headfirst into this new career. The gaming board’s inaugural meeting is scheduled for this week. The agenda for this week’s NGC meeting is relatively standard.

Togliatti and the rest of the NGC are set to see rapid progress. A significant number of large-scale approvals are anticipated over the coming four to six months. Furthermore, several changes in regulations are expected.

Busy months ahead for the NGC

The NGC will have a significant amount of casino sales to review for approval in the coming months. Here are just a few examples:

• Tropicana is being bought by Bally’s.
• The Venetian is being purchased by VICI and Appolo.
• Rio’s New Operators
• Palms is being purchased by San Manuel.
• MGM Resorts is acquiring operations to The Cosmopolitan.

The board could potentially discuss these potential casino acquisitions as soon as the next meeting in December.

Expect changes for remote NV sports betting accounts

Significant changes in Nevada sports betting may occur in the upcoming few years. Since the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was repealed in 2018, the sports betting landscape has experienced a lot of changes.

The expansion of sports betting across the US has led to the introduction of new sports betting operators and technology in most parts of the country. However, Nevada is lagging behind in terms of new technology and sportsbook operators.

For instance, large casino and sportsbook operators in Nevada, such as MGM Resorts and Caesars, are obligated to utilize a different sports betting platform in Nevada compared to other parts of the country.

Caesars didn’t even take Nevada into account when it recently kicked off its billion-dollar sportsbook marketing campaign. Although the ads are present, the sports betting product hasn’t seen the same upgrades as in other states with Caesars Sports apps.

Similarly, BetMGM employs a different platform discreetly in Nevada. Compared to the rest of the country, customers in the Silver State have access to a significantly smaller betting menu from BetMGM.

Togliatti and the NGC will soon initiate Nevada’s first step towards achieving parity with sportsbooks across the US. The new gaming commission’s first agenda item will be the repeatedly postponed sports betting account workshop, which is currently scheduled for November 18.

Caesars has not launched its newest platform in Nevada primarily due to the absence of mobile sports betting account registration. The company hinted at a possible policy change during its recent earnings call, stating that it plans to introduce its Liberty platform to Nevada.

More sports betting approvals

The NGC will also need to give their approval for a new sports betting platform for various gaming operators, in addition to casino deals. Approvals extend beyond just casino deals.

This form’s initial approval could mean a new platform from GAN getting the green light for Red Rock Resorts (Station Casinos). This would substitute the Stadium Technology platform which enabled Station Casinos to accept around 350 illegal bets.

New sportsbook operators may emerge in Nevada when new companies assume control of operations at The Venetian and Palms.

Currently, William Hill is in charge of the sportsbook at The Venetian, having previously managed the sportsbook at Palms before its closure last year. Both casinos may consider a new operator as a potential option.

Betfred was expected to pursue authorization to run the sportsbook at the Mohegan Sun casino within Virgin Hotels this year. However, the company did not seek approval for its license. Instead, they are projected to apply for a license next year.

This is merely the start. A modification in betting account registration could potentially result in an increased number of sportsbook operators venturing into Nevada. This could also introduce new technology. Togliatti might have a crucial part in the evolution of sports betting in Nevada.