For example, the "New Business Checklist" (2008) maintained by the City of Las Vegas states that, "All new businesses are required to register with the Department of Taxation. The Department provides information related to State business licensing, sales tax or use tax permits, consumer's permits, or certificates of authority. The Department will either issue the applicable permit and/or license needed to provide the clearance necessary for local business license purposes" (p. 1). Besides the other licenses and forms required (i.e., fictitious name license, employer identification number, zoning ordinances, worker's compensation certification, and filings with the state and federal tax agencies) to start a casino, a liquor and gaming license is required as well. According to the New Business Checklist, "To obtain a liquor and/or gaming license, a business license from the appropriate city and/or county must be obtained first" (p. 2).
The operative sections of the Nevada Revised Statutes 463.0129 ("Public policy of state concerning gaming; license or approval revocable privilege") state in part
1. The legislature hereby finds, and declares to be the public policy of this state, that:
a) The gaming industry is vitally important to the economy of the state and the general welfare of the inhabitants.
A b) The continued growth and success of gaming is dependent upon public confidence and trust that licensed gaming and the manufacture, sale and distribution of gaming devices and associated equipment are conducted honestly and competitively, that establishments which hold restricted and nonrestricted licenses where gaming is conducted and where gambling devices are operated do not unduly impact the quality of life enjoyed by residents of the surrounding neighborhoods, that the rights of the creditors of licensees are protected and that gaming is free from criminal and corruptive elements.
Public confidence and trust can only be maintained by strict regulation of all persons, locations, practices, associations and activities related to the operation of licensed gaming establishments, the manufacture, sale or distribution of gaming devices and associated equipment and the operation of inter-casino linked systems.
A d) All establishments where gaming is conducted and where gaming devices are operated... must therefore be licensed, controlled and assisted to protect the public health, safety, morals, good order and general welfare of the inhabitants of the state, to foster the stability and success of gaming and to preserve the competitive economy and policies of free competition of the State of Nevada.
A e) To ensure that gaming is conducted honestly, competitively and free of criminal and corruptive elements, all gaming establishments in this state must remain open to the general public and the access of the general public to gaming activities must not be restricted in any manner except as provided by the legislature.
2....
Any license issued or other commission approval granted pursuant to the provisions of this chapter or chapter 464 of NRS is a revocable privilege, and no holder acquires any vested right therein or thereunder (Nevada Revised Statutes 171.015).
The thirty-six or so existing casinos in Las Vegas are therefore subject to regular inspection by the state's gaming and labor regulatory authorities, as well as oversight by the city's heath department and other officials.
Conclusion
Any recent visitor to Las Vegas can readily attest to the vast array of activities that are available for virtually any individual's tastes, but the overwhelming majority of people, it would seem, flock to Las Vegas and defy the heat to enjoy the gaming opportunities provided on the world-famous "Strip." The research showed that competition for the gambling dollar in Las Vegas is fierce, and casinos continue to try to out-do each other in terms of just how swanky and flashy their facilities can be, and many sponsor rock concerts, world-class boxing matches and other spectaculars for their guests entertainment in response. The research showed that establishing a casino in Las Vegas is not an inexpensive proposition, but the guidelines for doing so are fairly straightforward. Nevertheless, the Nevada Revised Statutes emphasize that a gaming license is a privilege and not a right, and the city enforces high standards for its casino operations today to ensure that investments are legitimate and criminals go elsewhere in search of easy money.
References
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Chandler, S. & Jones, J. (2003). Because a better world is possible: Women casino workers, union activism and the creation of a just workplace. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 30(4), 57.
Cooper, M. (2004, May 24). America's last honest place: Las Vegas is capitalism stripped bare. The Nation, 278(20), 28.
Fun facts. (2008). City of Las Vegas: LasVegasNevada.gov. [Online]. Available: http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/FactsStatistics/funfacts.htm.
Gragg, L. (2007, February). Las Vegas: Who built America's playground? History Today, 57(2), 51.
Littlejohn, D. (1999). The real Las Vegas: Life beyond the Strip. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mohl, R.A. (2004). Neon metropolis: How Las Vegas started the twenty-first century. The Historian, 66(2), 368-369.
Nevada Revised Statutes. (2008). State of Nevada Legislature. [Online]. Available: http://www.leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-463.html#NRS463Sec0129.
New business checklist. (2008). City of Las Vegas: LasVegasNevada.gov. [Online]. Available: http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/files/New_Business_Checklist.pdf.
