Public backing for a lottery in Nevada keeps increasing. This information comes from recent polling commissioned by the biggest casino workers union in the Silver State. 

On Thursday, the Culinary Union announced that a survey it conducted to assess if Nevadans are in favor of a state-operated lottery showed significant support. Executed by David Binder Research, a political polling company located in San Francisco with strong connections to the Democratic Party, revealed that 84% of Nevadans support the concept of a lottery.

"The Nevada Legislature must act now and introduce a bill that would amend the Nevada Constitution to allow a state lottery system to be created, hold hearings in the Assembly and Senate, and pass the legislation so that it can go to the ballot and allow voters to ultimately decide,” said Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union. “Nevadans deserve a chance to vote on this issue — it’s time to let the people decide.”

Nevada is among just five states lacking a lottery, including Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah. Nevada is the sole state that permits various types of commercial gambling, including casinos and sports wagering. 

Nevada Lottery Assistance Strong 

David Binder Research conducted a survey of 500 likely voters to assess their views on a lottery in Nevada. Nearly 70% indicated that Nevada requires additional funding to support public services such as education, safety, and mental health care. When inquired whether increasing taxes or discovering a different revenue source would be preferable, 76% indicated that identifying a new revenue stream would be optimal. 

Sixty-one percent of those surveyed expressed strong support for the creation of a Nevada lottery, while another 23% indicated they somewhat support the initiative. Only 7% responded that they strongly oppose, while an additional 4% indicated they somewhat oppose a lottery in a state that is already the wealthiest gaming market in the nation. 

Culinary, representing non-gaming casino workers such as waitstaff, housekeepers, cooks, bartenders, and bellmen, proposes that Nevada might use lottery funds for adolescent mental health services. 

Numerous residents of Nevada are currently participating in the lottery by traveling to nearby states, primarily Arizona and California. In Primm, The Lotto Store is merely a short distance across the Nevada-California border, where lengthy lines often form when Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots reach life-altering sums. Primm is approximately a 45-minute drive away from Las Vegas. 

Opposition to Casinos 

MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment dominate Nevada's gaming sector and have lobbied legislators for years to prevent the introduction of a lottery. The casino operators contend that creating a lottery would adversely impact their operations, which provide more jobs for Nevadans than any other industry. 

Culinary claims that those arguments lack factual support. They refer to states such as Pennsylvania, Mississippi, New York, and Missouri that boast strong lottery systems and active casino industries.

"Nevada is the only gaming state without a state lottery despite being home to the world’s most famous gaming industry,” the Culinary Union release on the lottery poll declared. “Companies, including Caesars, MGM, Boyd Gaming, Bally’s Corp., Penn Entertainment, and Hard Rock International currently operate casinos in dozens of lottery states like Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island where companies pay tax rates as high as 74% on slot machines and up to 35% on table games.”

In Nevada, casinos are taxed substantially lower at only 6.75% for establishments earning $134,000 or more monthly.