Two years after approving a measure to allow a statewide lottery, lawmakers in Nevada let the bill die once again.
The deadline for bills to pass out of their first committee in the Nevada legislature, which comes before they can be voted upon by the full body of lawmakers, passed Friday. Many bills, including one that moved to legalize a statewide lottery, did not make it past the deadline.
Despite being known for its gaming and casinos, a statewide lottery is banned in Nevada’s 159-year-old constitution.
Since 1975, there have been 30 failed attempts at amending the state’s constitution to enact the lottery. The 2023 effort was the first time since 1899 that state lawmakers managed to pass a lottery bill. Similar to in 1901, the 2025 effort failed in that year’s legislative session.
The casino industry, which is the largest employer in Las Vegas, has long lobbied against a statewide lottery due to fear it would impact its business. Leaders in the gaming industry have said a lottery is not needed for revenue as the casino industry brings billions to the state each year. In 2024, the casino industry recorded a record $15.6 billion in revenue.
Should it have become law, revenue from the lottery would have funded mental health services in the state. The bill’s lead sponsor, Assemblyman C.H. Miller, a Democrat, did not seek reelection last year.
To amend the Nevada state constitution, a measure must be twice-approved by the state legislature and then sent to voters to approve or reject on the ballot. In this case, had the legislature again advanced the 2023 text, the measure would have been put on a ballot for a statewide vote with the earliest estimate placing the vote on a 2027 ballot.
While the issue has never made it to a statewide ballot, a statewide lottery appears popular among Nevadans. According to a poll from the Culinary Workers Union Local 226, which supported the statewide lottery push, 84% of Nevada voters were supportive of the measure and also supported using the revenue to fund mental health services.
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Nevada loses out on millions in sales to neighboring states. A lotto store in the California-Nevada border town of Primm, 30 minutes south of Las Vegas with a population of 1,000, sold $13 million worth of lottery tickets in 2009 alone, according to a 2016 report. The road that divides the two states is even called “Lotto Store Road.”
For now, Nevada will remain one of five states that do not allow a statewide lottery.