NCLGS New Leadership: Focusing On Best Practices

The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) will have a new president and a new focus in the not too distant future.

Nevada State Sen. Keith Pickard, the incoming President of NCLGS, “is leading an effort to expand the national organization’s reputation as the primary source of best practices in gaming law and regulation,” according to a recent press release.

“The legal gaming industry has been roiled in recent months by everything from a pandemic to the emergence of new technologies to the constant dilemma of deep state budget deficits. Amidst all that uncertainty, our fellow lawmakers can be assured of one constant: NCLGS will be there to provide guidance, research and support to identify and promote universal best practices,” said Pickard, who represents part of the Las Vegas Valley, including the city of Henderson, in the Nevada State Senate.

NCLGS Under Pickard

The issues that NCLGS will address in upcoming webinars, conferences, and other forums will include:

• Identifying effective regulation of sports betting, igaming and other emerging verticals
• Ensuring that lotteries and land-based casinos find ways to cooperate and find convergence in the digital era
• Capturing the full economic potential of both commercial and Indian gaming
• Growing non-gaming revenue streams to increase employment, promote tourism and advance other policy goals in states

“I will continue to work with my colleagues and staff to build on the growth we enjoyed under the leadership of Ohio State Sen. Bill Coley,” Pickard said. Pickard was second-in-command to Coley, who deftly led NCLGS for two years and will remain an NCLGS officer until his term ends in December.

Pickard will host a webinar on October 28, titled, Expanding Gaming Landscape: New Entrants, New Challenges.

The webinar will cover the growth of non-gaming revenue and the opportunities and challenges that come with the expansion of new forms of digital gaming, esports, and sports betting, as panelists attempt to answer the following questions:

• What will this mean for their existing business models?
• Will the line between gaming and non-gaming continue to blur?
• What regulatory and licensing issues will they confront?
• How will the commercial and Indian gaming industries respond, and what are their opportunities and challenges?

The Role NCLGS plays

NCLGS is an interesting organization.

It describes itself as, “the only organization of state lawmakers that meets regularly to discuss issues relating to gaming. Members of NCLGS serve as chairpersons or members of state legislative committees responsible for the regulation of gaming in their state legislative houses. NCLGS does not promote or oppose gaming but is primarily concerned with the regulation and economic and social impacts of the industry.”

Members include lawmakers from gaming states and states exploring gaming. The organization hosts two conferences annually (run by Spectrum Gaming Group), and during the pandemic, it has branched out into virtual meetings and webinars. Conference attendees run the gamut, from lawmakers and their staff to regulators and from industry executives to media.

The organization has two main goals:

• To educate lawmakers about gambling
• The development of public policy related to state-level gambling

Pickard could add a third bullet point to that list. He is an advocate for responsible gambling measures, as Pickard and his wife Margaret, a Nevada judge, “have worked in the recovery community throughout the Las Vegas Valley, offering a weekly 12-step programs for teens struggling with addiction, as well providing over 200 community presentations on facing and overcoming addiction.”