Nevada Remains a Lottery Holdout Despite Strong Support

Nevada, the nation’s undisputed leader in casino gaming, will remain one of only five U.S. states without a state-run lottery, following the quiet demise of a constitutional amendment proposal on Friday. The bill, AJR5, which would have paved the way for voters to weigh in on the matter in 2026, failed to advance past its first committee deadline in the current legislative session.

Lotteries have been constitutionally banned in Nevada since 1864. While the state embraced legal casino gambling in 1931 and saw record-breaking casino revenues of $15.6 billion in 2024, it has long resisted adding a state lottery to its gambling offerings. Previous attempts to change that have repeatedly failed under pressure from the casino lobby. This year, however, the lottery proposal came closer to success than ever before.

A Bill with Momentum, But Not Enough

AJR5 was first introduced in 2023 by Assemblyman Cameron Miller and marked a notable shift in legislative willingness to consider a lottery. It passed both the Assembly (26–15) and Senate (12–8) during that session. Per Nevada law, constitutional amendments require passage in two consecutive legislative sessions before being put to a public vote.

Reintroduced on February 3 for the 2025 session, the bill stalled before it could gain further traction. Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager confirmed its death on April 11, citing economic concerns and federal budget cuts. “With so much economic uncertainty and shocking federal funding cuts, this measure will not move forward,” Yeager said in a statement. He also noted that a closer look at multistate lottery participation revealed high startup costs and underwhelming projected revenue.

The failure resets the clock entirely. Any future attempt to legalize a lottery must start the two-session process anew, pushing the earliest possible referendum date to at least 2028.

Industry Tensions and Political Dynamics

AJR5 sparked rare division within Nevada’s powerful gaming ecosystem. The Nevada Resort Association (NRA), representing major casino interests, opposed the bill due to concerns over competition for gambling dollars. On the other side, the influential Culinary Union backed the proposal, drawn by the possibility that revenue could support youth mental health programs—though the bill did not explicitly earmark funds for that purpose.

Neither organization responded to requests for comment on the bill's failure.

Historically, the NRA has been a dominant force in killing lottery efforts before they gained legislative traction. That this proposal cleared one full round of the amendment process highlights shifting political dynamics, even if the industry ultimately prevailed again.

Polling data suggests that the public is far more open to a state lottery than its elected officials. A 2023 survey by Noble Predictive Insights found that 75% of Nevadans support lottery legalization, while just 13% were opposed. Despite this, lawmakers have repeatedly chosen not to move forward.

Supporters also point to lost revenue as residents drive to neighboring states to buy tickets. According to reporting from the Nevada Independent, the top two California Lottery retailers are located just across the state line from Las Vegas and Reno, underscoring a consistent outflow of lottery spending by Nevadans.

 

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

Conclusion

Nevada’s latest brush with lottery legalization ended much like all previous efforts—without success. Despite legislative momentum and strong public support, entrenched interests and fiscal concerns proved too formidable. As of now, Nevada remains a member of a shrinking group of lottery-free states—alongside Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah—while the conversation around lottery revenue, public funding, and gaming competition is sure to resurface again.