Nevada Gaming Policy Committee set for online poker discussion

The Nevada Gaming Policy Committee will hold its next meeting this Thursday in Las Vegas, in which it will discuss the future of online poker in the Silver State.

It is the third time the committee has met since being revived by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval in November after a hiatus of more than 20 years.

Among the speakers at the forthcoming meeting is Frank Fahrenkopf, president and chief executive of the American Gaming Association (AGA), who will give a presentation on the nationwide gaming industry.

Fahrenkopf (pictured) had previously stressed that the AGA supported the prospect of intrastate egaming regulations but only under overarching federal rules, accepting that each state should have the right to determine whether online poker should be legalised within its boundaries.

Also speaking are Anna Thornley of the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) and Steve Hill, a representative from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

Thornley will give an overview of states’ egaming licensing requirements and online fee structures, while Hill will cover economic development opportunities surrounding gambling. All three presentations will be followed by comments from committee members where appropriate.

There will then follow a discussion of the steps required for Nevada to “preserve [its] leadership position in online gaming if the federal government takes no action this year.” while comments from the public will follow the scheduled presentations.

Last week saw the Nevada Gaming Control Board (GCB) issue its first recommendations for the award of egaming licences, with Bally, IGT and William Hill the three beneficiaries. All three parties will have their applications considered by the NGC when it meets on 21 June.