New life breathed into Internet gaming proposal

Erin Neff

Monday, June 4, 2001 | 10:40 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- An Internet gaming measure left to die in committee to fend off a threatened tax addition has re-emerged in the form of another bill.

Gaming lobbyists pushed so hard for Assembly Bill 578 that leaders of both houses granted the measure a "resurrection waiver" to allow it to possibly rise again.

But the vehicle chosen to push the measure out is Assembly Bill 466 -- a work-card measure sponsored by Sheila Leslie, D-Reno.

A conference committee agreed Sunday to amend AB578 into AB466. The Assembly adopts the conference committee's report late Sunday night.

The Senate was expected to adopt the report today, clearing the way for Gov. Kenny Guinn to get the measure.

"I know it's a bill that we had to pass," said Merle Berman, R-Las Vegas, the sponsor of the original Internet gaming measure. "Everyone who has contacted me wants to know when this will be up and running."

Neither Berman's original bill nor the final measure that cleared the conference committee allows Internet gaming.

The measure gives the state Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission the ability to establish regulations for Internet gaming. As enabling legislation, it does not mandate such regulations be created.

"I think they will have to start work on this immediately," Berman said. "Gaming control will be inundated by the same types of calls and e-mails I receive every day on this issue."

By amending the Internet gaming provisions into a work card measure, the conference committee was able to keep the measure away from a proposed tax hike.

Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, had originally proposed amending AB578 to include his controversial gaming tax hike that failed earlier this session.

Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, had also tried to amend the measure with a gaming time-share provision.

Neither gaming lobbyists nor regulators wanted either amendment added to the measure. As a result, the bill was originally left in committee after the deadline for passage, theoretically killing it.

But because AB578 also includes some clean-up language in the law to help gaming regulators in a variety of other duties, lobbyists pushed for its "resurrection," and around 9 p.m. Sunday were granted their wish.