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Nevada Gaming Control Board Proposes Major Overhaul of Technical Standards for Gaming Devices

By jili tutorial · September 13, 2026

Nevada Gaming Control Board Proposes Major Overhaul of Technical Standards for Gaming Devices

Overview: A Comprehensive Update to Nevada’s Gaming Technology Rules

The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) is set to consider significant revisions to the state’s Technical Standards for Gaming Devices and Associated Equipment at its upcoming meeting on October 7. These proposed changes, touching everything from slot machine systems to cashless wagering accounts and race and sportsbooks, represent one of the most substantial updates to Nevada’s gaming technology framework in years.

A total of 10 technical standards are up for revision, with draft proposals spanning from June to August. The board officially notified licensees about the compilation of these revisions and the October 7 hearing date on September 4. Industry stakeholders and interested parties may submit comments ahead of the hearing through October 5.

What’s Changing? The Scope and Impact of the Proposed Revisions

The extent of the revisions varies significantly across the different standards, but most involve meaningful changes to language—both additions and omissions—that will affect how gaming operators and manufacturers comply with state regulations.

Key Standard Revisions at a Glance

Why Now? The Drive for Modernization Under New Leadership

Nevada has long been considered the premier gaming jurisdiction in the United States, but its regulatory framework for technology has faced criticism as slow-moving and cluttered—especially compared to emerging gaming markets like New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

Since NGCB Chair Mike Dreitzer took office in June 2024, modernization has been a top priority. These technical standard revisions represent the most visible extension of that mission.

“We finally got to a point where we said, you know what, let’s drop all our other efforts right now and get these over the finish line and get them up for comment so that we can make sure that we’re current with things,” said Jeremy Eberwein, chief of the board’s Technology Division, in an interview with iGB.

A Decade in the Making

Eberwein noted that this process has been years in the making, with work stopping and starting at various points. “We had various iterations of the drafts internally probably going back at least a decade, and just never made it to the finish line for various reasons,” he explained.

Centralizing Technical Requirements: One Source, Less Confusion

Perhaps the most impactful change isn’t just what the revisions say, but where licensees will find them. The bulk of the work revolved around compiling and codifying all technical information into a single place.

The Problem with Multiple Libraries

Previously, some technical requirements lived in the state’s Minimum Internal Control Standards (MICS), which are a broad mix of technical and procedural requirements. This forced licensees to search across multiple documents to find all relevant rules. The goal of these revisions is to make it easier for operators and manufacturers to locate technical information in one definitive source, rather than hunting through a fragmented library.

Most of the explanatory notes in the revisions refer to adaptations from MICS and other sources, showing how the board has consolidated scattered requirements into a coherent technical standards document.

What This Means for Licensees

The Road Ahead: Timelines and Stakeholder Input

The NGCB is hopeful that the proposal drafts are more or less finalized, but the process is far from over. Industry stakeholders will have opportunities to provide input during the comment period (which runs through October 5) and at the October 7 hearing.

One key player that typically weighs in on such matters, the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM), did not respond to a request for comment by the publication deadline. Their input—or lack thereof—could signal how the industry views the revisions.

Potential Approval Timeline

Depending on the amount of feedback received—and any potential objections from the Nevada Gaming Commission, which must ultimately approve the standards—the new technical standards could be adopted and published by year’s end. This would mark a significant achievement for an agency that has struggled to complete this project for over a decade.

Critical Context: The NGCB’s Busy 2025

The technical standards revision isn’t the only major item on the NGCB’s plate. Since the start of 2025, the board has been operating in a particularly intense regulatory environment.

Unprecedented Anti-Money Laundering Enforcement

The regulator has issued five multimillion-dollar anti-money laundering (AML) fines to entities on the Las Vegas Strip—an unprecedented run of sanctions for America’s gambling capital:

Entity FinedKey Allegation
Resorts World Las VegasAML violations related to illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer
MGM ResortsAML violations related to Mathew Bowyer play
Caesars EntertainmentAML violations related to Mathew Bowyer play
The VenetianAML violations related to Mathew Bowyer play
Wynn Las VegasProxy betting violations (unrelated to Bowyer)

Four of the investigations centered around AML violations linked to illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer, who was placed on the state’s exclusion list in April. The Wynn Las Vegas case was distinct: the company forfeited $130 million to the federal government for a series of proxy betting violations, which federal prosecutors called “believed to be the largest forfeiture by a casino based on admissions of criminal wrongdoing.”

Leadership Stability: Dreitzer’s Expiring Term

Internally, the NGCB has been overhauling multiple sets of regulations simultaneously, including rules for gaming salons, AML reporting, and now technical standards. This flurry of activity comes amid leadership churn: Dreitzer is the fifth NGCB chair to take office since 2019. His partial term, inherited from a predecessor, runs through January 2027.

Dreitzer told iGB earlier this year that he would “certainly be interested” in a full four-year term after the current one expires. His background in suppliers and testing labs gives him unique insight into the technical challenges facing the state.

“When I started here, I had multiple conversations with various licensees who operate across multiple jurisdictions, and the consistent commentary I heard was that they would go to Nevada last, if not never at all, because there was concern about the time it would take, the lack of regulatory consistency, the lack of clarity,” Dreitzer told iGB in January. “So when I came in, in view of the mandate from the governor and the work began by Chair Hendrick, I felt I needed to do something.”

Practical Implications for Industry Stakeholders

What Gaming Operators Should Do Now

  1. Review the proposed revisions carefully before the October 5 comment deadline.
  2. Identify which standards affect your operations directly—especially Standard 3 (slot metering) and Standard 9 (digital parimutuel systems).
  3. Prepare written comments if you have concerns or suggestions. The board is actively seeking input.
  4. Attend or monitor the October 7 hearing to understand how the NGCB responds to stakeholder feedback.

What Manufacturers Should Consider

Looking Forward: What This Means for Nevada’s Gaming Future

These technical standard revisions represent more than just regulatory housekeeping. They signal a shift in Nevada’s approach to gaming technology—from a slow, fragmented system to a modern, consolidated framework. If successful, these changes could:

For a state that has long defined gaming regulation in America, staying ahead of technological change is not just about convenience—it’s about maintaining leadership in an increasingly competitive industry.

About the Author: Jess Marquez has covered the global gaming industry since 2022. A native of Reno, Nevada, he’d like to note that it’s “Ne-va-da,” not “Ne-VAH-da.”