Nevada lawmakers discuss lottery

Mar 28, 2011, 11:25 am (17 comments)

Nevada

Pointless annual exercise?

By Todd Northrop

In what would seem to outside observers to be an annual exercise in futility, the Nevada state legislature has again taken up the issue of creating a state lottery.

With lines for lotto tickets like the one for Mega Millions this week in Primm, California, many residents believe Nevada should keep that money within the state and not send it to California.  Some are calling for the state to use lottery-generated funds to beef up the state's education system.

The Nevada Youth Legislature sponsored a bill to be discussed in committee Tuesday that would allow an amendment to the constitution for a lottery to fund schools. As always, the idea has mixed reviews.

"Because I'm a parent, I would support anything that would guarantee that the school system would be ranked in at least the top five," parent Jesse Hernandez says.

"I don't think anything is going to fix all our problems, big government is a problem in and of itself and until we fix our government, one thing isn't going to fix everything," parent Kathleen Sanchez says.

The same seemingly unsurmountable obstacles exist this year that have doomed the lottery in past years:  an unwilling governor and a bitterly-opposed gaming industry, concerned that a lottery would divert funds from their gaming business.

The senate committee meeting concerning the lottery takes place Tuesday, March 29, 2011, and is open to the public.  The meeting is being broadcast live via video conference at the Grant Sawyer building in Las Vegas.

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

If I know Harry (the weasel) Reid, he will find a way to put the kibosh on any state lottery somehow if his fatcat casino owner friends and union bosses are against it. They've made him a multi-millionaire and he's their little dancing monkey.

When the head nods in Vegas, the tail wags in Washington.

Dingy Harry's bought and paid for.

boise

Rdgrnr,u must be a Carpenter u hit the nail right on the head.

TnTicketlosers's avatarTnTicketlosers

He always does.Ridge for PRESIDENT......Ridge for CEO of TN Lottery.

JWBlue

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Mar 28, 2011

If I know Harry (the weasel) Reid, he will find a way to put the kibosh on any state lottery somehow if his fatcat casino owner friends and union bosses are against it. They've made him a multi-millionaire and he's their little dancing monkey.

When the head nods in Vegas, the tail wags in Washington.

Dingy Harry's bought and paid for.

The question is, "Would a lottery significantly take away revenue from the state's casinos.".

I am not sure it would significantly reduce revenue from the cansinos.  When people play the state lottery games, my guess is they spend maybe $5 a week.  Would that reduce the amount of money a person gambles in a casino.

I don't know.

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by JWBlue on Mar 28, 2011

The question is, "Would a lottery significantly take away revenue from the state's casinos.".

I am not sure it would significantly reduce revenue from the cansinos.  When people play the state lottery games, my guess is they spend maybe $5 a week.  Would that reduce the amount of money a person gambles in a casino.

I don't know.

An effect of a state lottery on casinos would be felt more by a city like Mesquite, Nevada that could benefit by a lottery because it's only 30 miles from Utah where there is no lottery. For the casino towns that border California and Arizona there should no effect. I doubt there would be a significant increase in revenues as I doubt there would be a significant decline in revenues in Vegas or Reno casinos.

New Jersey was the opposite because they already had a state lottery when they legalized casino gambling. Since then, many states have legalized casino gambling so the effect of one form of gambling on another form is already known.

joshuacloak's avatarjoshuacloak

ask your self this nevada, does only having a store sell fresh meat/sea food  and fruit bring in money?

no more choice Does, start selling candy, start selling pasta,   etc,    these bloody idiots of the  nevada law makers,   may as wear Nascar suits and caps with the ALL the gaming casinos logo's on them

maybe 1 day,  one of the 7 holdout states without a lottery will Come around to it, but i doubt it be Nevada first

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Mar 28, 2011

If I know Harry (the weasel) Reid, he will find a way to put the kibosh on any state lottery somehow if his fatcat casino owner friends and union bosses are against it. They've made him a multi-millionaire and he's their little dancing monkey.

When the head nods in Vegas, the tail wags in Washington.

Dingy Harry's bought and paid for.

I don't know how much clout Reid has over the Nevada state legislation but he did sponsor a Federal Internet gaming bill in the U.S. Senate that would allow millions of Americans to play poker online.

If the people of Nevada want a lottery, they should put a lottery incentive on their state ballot just like Arkansas recently did and many other states did in the past. If it wins they have a lottery and if it loses on a close vote, they can try again in a couple of years.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by Stack47 on Mar 28, 2011

I don't know how much clout Reid has over the Nevada state legislation but he did sponsor a Federal Internet gaming bill in the U.S. Senate that would allow millions of Americans to play poker online.

If the people of Nevada want a lottery, they should put a lottery incentive on their state ballot just like Arkansas recently did and many other states did in the past. If it wins they have a lottery and if it loses on a close vote, they can try again in a couple of years.

The internet gambling bill was just to help his masters in the casinos and unions put the offshore guys out of business and rake in more for themselves.

Harry (girly voice) Reid will never allow lottery in Nevada if he is in a position to stop it.

That leopard won't be changing his spots anytime soon.

I doubt there will ever be lottery in Nevada as long as the casinos and unions keep him in power.

oh438's avataroh438

I understand your not a fan of Reid's.  OK but this is a state issue not a Federal issue.  Reid's Senator at the federal level not state.  If the people of Nevada wants a lottery get the the petitions signs and put it up for a state vote.  let the people decide.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by oh438 on Mar 28, 2011

I understand your not a fan of Reid's.  OK but this is a state issue not a Federal issue.  Reid's Senator at the federal level not state.  If the people of Nevada wants a lottery get the the petitions signs and put it up for a state vote.  let the people decide.

I agree but it's hard to counter deeply inbedded and well funded corruption like they have there.

Money talks and it talks very loudly and convincingly to state and local politicians and mind-numbed union robots whose only concern is their bottom line.

Slippery Harry is a major league crook but still just a spoke in the wheel of corruption inherent in that state.

If Big Money doesn't want petitions to change things, they won't. 

Stumbling blocks will appear or the numbskulls who re-elected Reid will be mobilized to defeat them.

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Mar 28, 2011

The internet gambling bill was just to help his masters in the casinos and unions put the offshore guys out of business and rake in more for themselves.

Harry (girly voice) Reid will never allow lottery in Nevada if he is in a position to stop it.

That leopard won't be changing his spots anytime soon.

I doubt there will ever be lottery in Nevada as long as the casinos and unions keep him in power.

I'm not pro or con Harry Reid but I see nothing wrong with Americans taking a piece of the action from foreign interest.

"I doubt there will ever be lottery in Nevada as long as the casinos and unions keep him in power."

I'd assume the casinos and unions have control over most the politicians in Nevada so if they don't want a lottery, whomever they helped get elected to an office will be against it.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by Stack47 on Mar 28, 2011

I'm not pro or con Harry Reid but I see nothing wrong with Americans taking a piece of the action from foreign interest.

"I doubt there will ever be lottery in Nevada as long as the casinos and unions keep him in power."

I'd assume the casinos and unions have control over most the politicians in Nevada so if they don't want a lottery, whomever they helped get elected to an office will be against it.

"... I see nothing wrong with Americans taking a piece of the action from foreign interest."

I agree completely. I just wanted to establish motive lest anybody be hoodwinked that it had anything to do with the will of the people.

 

Your second assertion is also spot on. The Big Money (casinos) and Unions run the show. The only way to beat them is in the voting booth. The Big Money and the Unions demonstrated in the last election however, that they can take on and prevail over any comers in the voting booth. It shows us that large groups of stupid people under the right guidance and tutelage can accomplish great things for corrupt politicians. 

eddessaknight's avatareddessaknight

I Agree!

Totally agree w/Rdgrnr

The casinos which own & operate the state in their own best intererts, feel that. especially  in this down turn economy, that  every dollar spent on the lottery would subtract frown & from the Mega Million slots etc in short it's old boyz home ground & they won't permit any outside competion to muscle in= where they have the monoply  onthe lisence to steal Wink

 

ddessaKnight Sun Smiley

nelliemarie

i wish oklahoma would create a state lottery

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