Nevada casinos warned over reefer-mad gamblers

Nevada casinos have to ensure that gamblers who partake of the state’s legal marijuana products don’t go reefer mad at the gaming tables.

Last week, the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) amended its rules governing gambling while under the influence of intoxicants to incorporate Nevada’s newly legal recreational marijuana use. Nevada began legally selling the herb to adults over the age of 21 on June 30, 2017 and the rest of the state’s legal environment continues to play catch-up.

Nevada’s gaming laws already prohibit casinos from dealing with gamblers who are alcohol-impaired, but the new policy declares that gamblers who are “visibly intoxicated” from marijuana can neither gamble nor be sold alcohol inside a casino.

The precise definition of ‘visible intoxication’ from pot use remains a bit of a mystery, suggesting anyone who suffers from an involuntary bout of the giggles or appears a little too interested in finishing that bag of Cheetos could find their evening’s entertainment on the gaming floor brought to an abrupt and unceremonious end.