A Nevada lottery bill that could potentially lift the state’s ban on lottery games has been halted. 

Assembly Joint Resolution 5 (AJR5) aimed to update the rules concerning lotteries and the distribution of lottery tickets in Nevada. The resolution continues from a 2023 bill that was approved by the Nevada Legislature. 

On Friday, Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) guaranteed that Nevada's law permitting lottery gaming would remain unchanged. Nevada has had a ban on lotteries for almost 160 years.

"With so much economic uncertainty and shocking federal funding cuts, this measure will not move forward,” Yeager declared.

Yeager's decision occurred on the committee deadline day of April 11, a day when numerous bills with slim chances of approval are officially defeated or postponed. 

Lottery Ban 

Nevada holds the title of the wealthiest gaming state in the country, as players’ losses reached an unprecedented $15.6 billion last year. 2024 represented Nevada's fourth straight year of growth in annual gross gaming revenue (GGR). 

Recent surveys indicate that a significant portion of the population (76%) in Nevada favors the approval of a state-operated lottery. 

In 2023, the Legislature progressed towards enabling voters to determine if the Nevada Constitution should be modified to permit a lottery. The bicameral approved AJR5 that year; however, for a statewide ballot referendum to commence, the proposal needs a second positive vote. 

Had the Legislature chosen to advance AJR5 to the voters, the referendum would have appeared on the 2026 election ballot. 

By putting AJR5 on hold, Yeager ensures that Nevada will stay as one of just five states without a lottery. This will prompt numerous Nevadans to travel to the California side of Primm and other neighboring states to buy their lottery slips and tickets for Mega Millions and Powerball. 

The remaining states without lotteries include Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah. 

Financial Worries 

Nevada's influential casino sector is against introducing lottery gaming in the state. They claim that lottery sales would negatively impact their business and jeopardize jobs. 

Supporters argue that this line of thinking is obsolete and that lottery gaming would generate new tax income and employment opportunities for the state. The Culinary Union Local 226, representing about 60,000 employees in the gaming and hospitality sectors in Las Vegas and Reno, has endorsed AJR5. 

“It’s irresponsible that Democratic leadership in the Nevada Legislature refused to even give AJR5 a hearing — killing legislation they supported last session and denying Nevadans the opportunity to have their voices heard,” said Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge. “When politicians talk about democracy being at risk but block Nevadans from voting on something as straightforward as a state lottery, their words ring hollow. Actions speak louder than rhetoric.”

Yeager argued that due to federal funding reductions and President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, which could significantly impact inflation and the costs of goods and services, it is not the right moment to implement a lottery. The speaker also doubts that a lottery would significantly benefit the state's funding due to substantial regulatory and implementation expenses. 

Iowa, a state with a comparable population, achieved a record $108.4 million in its fiscal year 2023. The Iowa Lottery allocates its earnings in multiple ways, such as providing financial support to veterans, funding economic development initiatives, enhancing law enforcement resources, supporting K-12 public education, and promoting agricultural programs.