Licensing and Regulatory Boards and Commissions
Gaming Control Board
Administrative History
The rapid growth of the gambling industry necessitated more rules and regulations for control. A Legislative act approved on March 29, 1955, effective July 1, 1955 created the State Gaming Control Board to act as the enforcement and investigative unit of the Tax Commission, and inaugurated a policy designed to eliminate the participation of undesirable elements in Nevada's gambling industry.
The State Gaming Control Board is primarily empowered to investigate the qualifications of each license applicant and has the authority to inspect and examine the gaming premises as well as all equipment and supplies; and demand access to and inspect, examine and audit all papers, books and records of applicants and licensees. The Board, the Nevada Tax Commission, and their agents, inspectors, and employees are vested with the powers of a peace officer of the State of Nevada for the administration of the rules and regulations of the industry.
Despite the increased authority and powers given to the Tax Commission and the Gaming Control Board, the industry became more and more subject to pressures from within as well as without as revenues from gambling added considerable wealth to the state. In consideration of problems related to the industry, Governor Grant Sawyer requested the 1959 legislature for a complete overhaul of the gaming control machinery. The Legislature's response was the passing of the Nevada Gaming Control Act, March 30, 1959, which removed the Tax Commission from its role in gaming, and in its place established the Nevada Gaming Commission, making the State Gaming Control Board its audit, investigative and administrative adjunct.
| Records Description |
Dates: 1955-1992 |
Volume: 58 c.f.
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| Minutes of Board Meetings |
1955-1986 |
31 c.f. |
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More than fifty percent of the collection consists of minutes of Control Board meetings, the earliest dating from the first meeting since the creation of the Board in 1955. Included in the files is a note: "For the period June, 1971, through May, 1975, minutes of the State Gaming Control Board meetings were not transcribed in their entirety; except transcriptions of some specific matters may appear in either rough draft or final form. The tape recordings of these proceedings are retained in the Carson City Board Offices for review by interested persons."
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| Meeting Transcripts |
1987-1992 |
25 c.f. |
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The transcript of meetings is a more comprehensive record of the proceedings of the Board meetings. Usually there is a monthly disposition, an index of the agenda of the meetings of the month, indicating specific item numbers in the agenda and the action taken for each.
The files also include exhibits of the particular cases under consideration. Where these exhibits are confidential, the reporter notes that these are maintained in the office of the executive secretary.
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| 50th Anniversary of Legalized Gambling in Nevada |
1981/1984 |
2 c.f. |
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"Silver Turns to Gold" is the title given to the program celebrating the 50th anniversary of legalized gambling in Nevada. The 2 boxes of materials include slides (2 carousels), script, reports, research materials and notes mainly of Stuart Curtis, as well as photographs used in the promotion of the celebration. The History of Gambling in Nevada written by H. E. Hotchkiss is included in the files.
Nevada's Black Book
Gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931. Initially control and licensing were the responsibility of the individual counties but because of significant revenues to local and state governments, gambling was placed under the authority of the Nevada Tax Commission in 1945. The legislature of 1955 granted sweeping powers to administer the provisions of the act and created the State Gaming Control Board as its enforcement and investigative unit.
In consideration of problems related to the industry, Governor Grant Sawyer requested the 1959 Legislature completely overhaul the gaming control machinery. The Legislature responded with the Nevada Gaming Control Act, passed on March 30, 1959. The act removed the Tax Commission from its role in gaming and in its place established the Nevada Gaming Commission, making the Nevada Gaming Control Board its audit, investigative, and administrative arm.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board devised a number of regulations which gaming establishments were required to follow. Regulation 5, “Operation of Gaming Establishments” was designed to provide tools to ensure “unsuitable” practices were prohibited. Subsections 3/E-I were the basis for issuing the Black Book (later called "Excluded Persons"), a listing of individuals who were prohibited from stepping into, owning, operating, or having any connection with a licensed gaming establishment.
The first Black Book was issued March 29, 1960. It contained a letter issued by the Gaming Control Board to owners and operators of gaming establishments, a copy of Regulation 5, and individual pages of photographs and descriptions of the first eleven persons placed on the list in more or less alphabetical order. The text was mimeographed and photographs were taped onto the pages using cellophane tape that yellowed over time, left yellow marks on the photos, and then lost all tackiness. The photographs themselves were poor images; some were paper copies of photographs. The contents were placed into black paper report covers and then distributed widely to all gaming establishments and employees. The Book was designed to be updated with additional prohibited persons or to reflect the death of former listees.
The Nevada State Archives has versions from 1960, 1975, and 1986.
Black Book, 1960 (pdf)
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