Caesars Entertainment and WSOP.com Oppose Bill

By Scott Bowen,
Editor at online-gambling.com

Scott Bowen Editor at online-gambling.com

Scott Bowen is a casino expert and editor with many years of experience in the gambling industry. He is one of the most valuable members of our team at online-gambling.com. Bowen specializes in writing on a variety of subjects, including roulette, blackjack, video poker, sports betting, and more.

• Twitter
• Email

More About Scott Bowen

Last updated: May 13, 2023

The Nevada legislature was unable to pass a bill that would have obliged online poker providers to publish a list of players who had been banned for cheating or other violations of the law. Speaker of the Nevada Assembly Steve Yeager presented Assembly Bill 380 after consulting with local poker pro Sara Cholhagian Ralston.

Ralston thinks the Nevada Gaming Commission needs to be informed about the list of prohibited individuals. Caesars Entertainment, the only regulated interactive poker site in the state, and its WSOP.com platform, however, opposed the legislation because they believed it would lead to expensive litigation because players might sue the company and the government for publicly damaging their reputations without due process.

New Legislative Session Coming in 2025

The Assembly Judiciary Committee heard the measure twice after it was referred to them. However, the committee members opted against moving the proposal through. Although the 2023 session of the Nevada Legislature doesn’t complete until June 5, AB380 has been tabled and won’t be taken up again, according to members of the judiciary. Ralston stated that she was “really disappointed” that the bill did not even receive a committee vote and expressed optimism that the discussion over poker openness in the state would continue.

Players may be barred from Caesars’ WSOP.com and other regulated online gambling platforms in the US for a variety of causes without being given a reason. In 2025, at the state’s next legislative session, Ralston expects that Yeager and other state representatives will file a bill that is comparable to AB380.

In the six states that permit online slot machines and table games, iGaming is a significant industry. Online casinos in New Jersey made more over $1.6 billion in total gaming revenue last year, while those in Pennsylvania made approximately $1.4 billion. Nevada’s casino sector is still largely offline despite being the richest gaming state in the US. Online slots or other table formats are not permitted by the state; only online poker is.

Nevada Online Poker Industry Remains Small Compared to Other States

Poker rake was less profitable than other online gambling alternatives, raking up only $27.3 million of the $1.6 billion won online in New Jersey last year. As a result, Nevada only has access to the WSOP.com platform from Caesars. Every year in Las Vegas, the World Series of Poker event draws thousands of poker enthusiasts and experts. Many players choose to play casual games online from the comfort of their hotel rooms while they aren’t at the tables.

The conflict between openness and privacy in online gambling is highlighted by AB380’s failure. Online gaming platforms may feel that gamers have a right to know who has been suspended, but gaming corporations are also worried about possible legal repercussions. Even if a player did not participate in any misbehavior, some contend that banning them without stating the cause for the ban might harm their reputation. As internet gaming continues to expand, regulators and politicians will continually struggle to strike a balance between these issues.