Panel kills Nevada time-share gambling bill

Thursday, April 10, 2003 | 6:39 a.m.

Panel kills Nevada time-share gambling billCARSON CITY, Nev.- A Senate panel voted 4-3 Thursday to kill a bill that would have allowed wide-open gambling in time-share developments.

Judiciary Committee members discussed various amendments that could have tightened SB104, by Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas. But finally, on a motion to approve the bill, it got only three favorable votes.

"It's like Frankenstein's monster," said Sen. Dennis Nolan, R-Las Vegas. "The more things we sew on it, the uglier it gets."

Advocates included Sen. Mike McGinness, R-Fallon, who said the time-share industry has boomed in Nevada, especially in Las Vegas, and lawmakers "need to think outside the box" by considering innovative proposals like SB104.

Schneider, whose proposal had been opposed by representatives of major hotel-casinos, had argued that the gambling market is changing across the country and large companies are coming to Las Vegas to build time shares that will bring in thousands of people.

SB104 would allow a time-share project with more than 200 rooms to be considered on the same level as a resort hotel. But the time-share would have to provide only a snack bar or delicatessen that is open 10 hours a day.

Resort hotels are required to have at least one 24-hour restaurant with seating for 60 or more people.

Bill Bible, president of the Nevada Resort Association, said the proposed change in the law "substantially lowers the bar" for the state's legal definition of a hotel. He said resort hotels in the Las Vegas area are required to offer many amenities to attract customers.

Schneider envisioned a big time-share having 500 slot machines and a couple of table games. He said the time-share owner would probably have some drinks and play the machines but then would go out to hotels for meals, shows and gambling.

Among the amendments considered was one from Sen. Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas, to reduce the slot count to 25. She joined Nolan and Sens. Valerie Wiener, D-Las Vegas, and Maurice Washington, R-Sparks, in opposing SB104.