At the direction of Governor Joe Lombardo, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) worked earlier this year to identify several outdated gaming regulations that could potentially be eliminated, and their removal is expected to be finalized later this month.
However, NGCB Chairman Kirk Hendrick announced in a recent notice that one such change will take effect sooner—August 22, to be exact.
Moving forward, some new gaming products as well as additions to existing products will no longer need to undergo a field test in the state, so long as the equipment has already been approved by the gaming regulatory agency of another state.
Per the language of the new directive, the standards for gaming devices of any outside state being referenced must be “materially the same as those in Nevada,” as reported by the Nevada Independent.
Additionally, at least 10 units of said game or equipment must have been available to patrons at a licensed casino within the other state for a period of at least 30 days before consideration in Nevada.
The board chairman now has sole authority to rule on whether or not a field test is required for certain products. Overall, the change is expected to streamline the process, but only a small number of products will be affected due to the qualifications
The idea for the update first came to light during workshops that were held in the spring between regulators and various gaming equipment suppliers. The purpose for the meetings was to iron out some of the complaints from both sides and help identify some ways to help Nevada keep up its reputation as the “gold standard” in U.S. gaming.
According to the Independent, Daron Dorsey, executive director of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) said that the rule change is “a good start that eliminates several steps” along the way.
Despite the victory, Dorsey also cautioned that more updates are needed in the near future.
“These discussions are helping to bring Nevada up to the modern trend as to what most other (jurisdictions) are doing now,” Dorsey told the Independent. “We just want to shorten the time periods after (the new equipment) goes through the independent lab testing and the certification process. That’s why this is a small step.”
In January, Lombardo directed all state agencies to review existing regulations and to recommend at least 10 to be removed by May 1, and the NGCB eventually settled on a total of 16 potentially outdated regulations.
The Nevada Gaming Commission will make a final decision on the regulations at its September 21 meeting.
