When Did Nevada Legalize Gambling? A Complete Historical Timeline
Nevada legalized gambling on March 19, 1931, when Governor Fred Balzar signed Assembly Bill 98 into law. This historic legislation made Nevada the first state in the United States to legalize most forms of gambling.
The decision came during the Great Depression, when Nevada was struggling economically and needed new revenue sources. The state's leaders recognized that gambling could boost tourism and generate substantial tax revenue. Phil Tobin, a freshman assemblyman from Humboldt County, introduced the bill, which became known as the "Wide Open Gambling Bill."
Before 1931, gambling existed in Nevada but operated in a legal gray area. Early settlers and miners brought various games of chance to the territory in the 1850s, but the state banned gambling in 1909. Despite this prohibition, illegal gambling continued throughout the state, particularly in Las Vegas and Reno.
The 1931 legislation legalized several forms of gambling, including:
Card games Dice games Slot machines Race betting Sports betting
One month after legalizing gambling, Nevada also reduced the residency requirement for divorce from six months to six weeks. These two legislative changes helped establish Nevada as a destination for activities that were restricted or illegal in other states.
The impact was immediate. Small casinos began appearing throughout the state, laying the foundation for what would eventually become the modern gaming industry. Las Vegas, in particular, experienced rapid growth, transforming from a small railroad town into the gambling capital of the world.
Today, Nevada's gambling industry generates billions in revenue annually and employs hundreds of thousands of people. The 1931 decision to legalize gambling fundamentally shaped Nevada's economy and identity, creating the entertainment destination we know today.
It's worth noting that while March 19, 1931, marks the official legalization of gambling in Nevada, the industry we see today evolved gradually over many decades through additional legislation, corporate investment, and cultural changes.