In Nevada, the gaming industry is the two-ton gorilla in the state, and when the ape speaks, lawmakers listen.
So it should come as no surprise that casinos and related companies contribute to lawmakers’ campaign chests, especially post-pandemic when the money has rolled in. Since early 2021, the industry has brought in more than $1 billion in revenue each month.
After the 2020 cycle, gaming contributions to Nevada lawmakers went south to $769,000 as Covid-19 knocked gaming revenues down, but bounced back in 2022, as casinos contributed more than $1.2 million to 55 legislators, according to a report in the Nevada Independent.
That said, contributions are still well below the $1.6 million in 2018 and $1.9 million in 2016.
MGM Resorts led all properties in 2019, donating $300,000. A year later it was just $42,000. Then in 2022, the company contributed $277,000.
The 2022 election cycle included a political action committee (PAC) under the guidance of the Nevada Resort Association, the primary trade group for the gaming industry. The PAC and its members contributed $180,000 to 18 winning candidates, second-most behind MGM.
Contributions from the gaming industry were concentrated at the top—nearly three-fourths of all industry contributions came from just seven companies or groups, each of which donated at least $70,000.
Billy Vassiliadis, chief executive officer of marketing and public affairs firm R&R Partners and a lobbyist for the Nevada Resort Association, described the political contributions of the industry as a “two-way obligation.”
“One is for the industry to support candidates they believe will better serve the state,” he told the Independent. “And two, elected officials who understand both the importance of the industry… and the obligation to understand and work with the industry on issues that are of common threat to both.”
A leading concern, he said, is “the safety and comfort of our employees and visitors in the resort corridor and in resort areas.” That includes congestion on sidewalks and bridges around the resorts and concern about human trafficking in those areas.
“It is the biggest industry and by that, the largest taxpayer, largest revenue generator, largest provider of health insurance,” Vassiliadis said.
The data collected comes from the Independent’s “Follow the Money” series, which takes a glimpse into how the state’s most powerful companies and political organizations contribute to policymakers who set laws affecting businesses and residents alike.
According to the paper, more than 80 percent of the MGM contributions went to Democrats. Leading all lawmakers was Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas), who received $30,000 in combined contributions from MGM-affiliated sources. He was followed by Senate counterpart, Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro (D-Las Vegas), and Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui (D-Las Vegas), the Assembly majority floor leader. Both received $20,000. Others received $15,000 and $10,000, including two Republicans.
The Nevada Resort Association donated $180,000 to 18 lawmakers, giving a max of $10,000 to 13 Democrats and five Republicans.
When the group announced the formation of its PAC in January 2022, Association President Virginia Valentine said in a statement that the group was looking for candidates on both sides of the aisle “who will champion issues that grow our economy, encourage economic investment and job creation, contribute to our employees’ well-being, ensure taxes are fair and transparent, and protect our state’s distinctive character as a global leader in travel and tourism.”
“We think those fall in the category of the right thing to do if you are the one of the larger corporate citizens in the state,” she said.
