New Nevada Gaming Commission Chair Has A Lot On Her Plate

In October, former Judge Jennifer Togliatti was appointed chair of the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC). This is a significant appointment. Togliatti is the first female chair of the NGC in its 62-year history.

Togliatti is a former prosecutor and Clark Count District Court Judge. She received a bachelor’s degree from UNLV in 1989. Following this, she obtained a Juris doctorate in 1993 from the California Western School of Law.

Togliatti does not have experience in casinos or in the gaming business. She doesn’t see this as a setback. Togliatti recently told the Nevada Independent:

“I feel like I still have a lot to contribute in serving the public and I felt like this was an interesting and new challenge for me.”

Togliatti won’t be able to ease into her new position. She’ll jump right into this new career. The gaming board’s first meeting is this week. The agenda for the NGC meeting this week is fairly typical.

Things will pick up quickly for Togliatti and the rest of the NGC. There are plenty of large-scale approvals coming in the next four to six months. Additionally, there should be multiple regulation changes.

Busy months ahead for the NGC

There will be a lot to oversee in the next few months. Here’s just a sample of the casino sales that the NGC will consider approving:

• Bally’s buying Tropicana
• VICI and Appolo buying The Venetian
• New operators for Rio
• San Manuel buying Palms 
• MGM Resorts buying operations to The Cosmopolitan 

These potential casino acquisitions could be in front of the board as soon as the next meeting in December.

Expect changes for remote NV sports betting accounts

The next couple of years could see major changes in Nevada sports betting. A lot has changed in sports betting since the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018.

Sports betting expanding throughout the US has introduced new sports betting operators and technology to most of the country. Nevada is far behind when it comes to new technology and sportsbook operators.

For example, massive Nevada casino and sportsbook operators like MGM Resorts and Caesars are forced to use a different sports betting platform in Nevada than the rest of the country.

Caesars didn’t even bother including Nevada when it recently launched its billion-dollar sportsbook marketing campaign. Sure, the ads are here but the sports betting product hasn’t been upgraded like other states with Caesars Sports apps.

Similarly, BetMGM quietly uses a different platform in Nevada. Customers in the Silver State have a much smaller betting menu from BetMGM than the rest of the country.

The first step for Nevada to get on a level playing field with sportsbooks around the US will start quickly for Togliatti and the NGC. The first item for the new gaming commission will be the repeatedly rescheduled sports wagering account workshop on the books for November 18.

The lack of mobile sports betting account registration is the main reason Caesars hasn’t launched its newest platform in Nevada. During its recent earnings call, the company said it should be bringing its Liberty platform to Nevada. Perhaps that’s a hint of a policy change.

More sports betting approvals

Approvals go beyond casino deals. The NGC will also have to approve a new sports betting platform for a number of gaming operators.

The first approval of this form could rubber-stamping of a new platform from GAN for Red Rock Resorts (Station Casinos). This will replace the Stadium Technology platform that allowed Station Casinos to take approximately 350 illegal wagers.

It’s possible that there will be new sportsbook operators for Nevada when the new companies take over operations at The Venetian and Palms.

William Hill currently operates the sportsbook at The Venetian. The company used to operate the sportsbook at Palms until it closed last year. A new operator could be an option for both casinos.

Betfred was supposed to seek approval to operate the sportsbook at the Mohegan Sun casino inside Virgin Hotels this year. That company didn’t seek approval for its license. Instead, the company should seek a license next year.

This is just the beginning. A change in wagering account registration could lead to even more sportsbook operators expanding into Nevada. This would also bring new technology. Togliatti could play a vital role in the future of Nevada sports betting.