NEVADA GAMING POLICY BODY DISCUSSES THE FUTURE
03/29/2012 : Governor urges interested parties to get involved and make suggestions
The first meeting of the revitalised 11-man Nevada Gaming Policy Committee took place Wednesday with Governor Brian Sandoval urging interested parties to get involved in the Nevada online poker initiative by way of ideas and suggestions for its future development.
Sandoval said that all points of view on Internet gambling were welcome in order that the committee might develop policies to manage and regulate a dynamic new element in the industry for Nevada and possibly the United States as a whole at some point.
Sandoval reminded committee members that its remit was to recommend public policy positions and suggest legalization in advance of online gaming approval, in order to ensure that the state of Nevada maintained its position as an industry leader and competitor.
The governor said that he would like to see the group’s efforts regarding usa internet poker and gambling completed by the end of August this year so that a report can be published, and suggestions put forward on draft legalization for the state's 2013 session.
The committee should aim to meet at least every four to six weeks, Governor Sandoval proposed, suggesting that future meetings might include discussions on internet gambling developments in other US states, emerging technologies, strategies for ensuring Nevada remained in the forefront of developments and the economic effect that online gambling will have on the state.
The committee was briefed on background and current developments in internet poker in Nevada by Nevada Gaming Commission chairman Peter Bernhard and Gaming Control Board Chairman Mark Lipparelli, who revealed that along with other states Nevada has requested clarification on several aspects arising from the US Department of Justice's revised interpretation of the Wire Act.
Committee member Jim Murren, CEO of MGM Resorts International reiterated his company's view that federal legalization was the preferred option, and suggested the committee could profitably address how gambling issues on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter should be approached.
Some 75 people attended the meeting of the committee, including regulators and industry legal experts, educators and corporate executives.
