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New poll shows Nevada is facing pressure to ban smoking in casinos

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New poll shows Nevada is facing pressure to ban smoking in casinos


RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Nevada is facing pressure to ban smoking in casinos. That’s according to a new poll showing 60% of residents support ending indoor smoking in gaming facilities. Now, advocacy groups are seeking change for patrons and employees.

At the end of 2006, the Nevada Indoor Clean Air Act went into effect, banning smoking inside to protect employees from secondhand smoke in the workplace.  However, this law specifically excludes casinos, meaning 100 thousand workers in the state aren’t protected under NICAA. Nicole Chacon, with the Smoke Free Coalition explains that this loophole makes it so casino employees have to choose between their health and a paycheck.

“We have so many workers who don’t get a choice. They have to earn a living, they have to pay for their health insurance, and put food on the table. They have all the same bills that we have and while we are covered in our work places, they are not,” Chacon said.

Chacon would like to see all of Nevada’s workers protected. Workers like Paula Larson-Schusster, who has been a casino dealer for the last 30 years.

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“We’re actually considered smokers on our insurance even though we don’t smoke,” Larson-Schusster said.

Larson-Schusster’s experience has made her want to become an anti-smoking advocate. She now serves as president for United Auto Workers, who represent about 3,000 casino workers at resorts like MGM, Caesars, and the Wynn.

“I’ve had smoke blown in my face, cigars blown in my face, and people need to realize a dealers table is a half circle and the dealer is in the center of that circle. So when people are smoking you have five or more people blowing smoke directly in your face day after day,” Larson-Schusster said.

The secondhand smoke has caused Larson-Schusster’s asthma to flare up consistently while she has also had to watch her coworkers suffer from heart attacks and bronchitis. Having had enough, she says, we need to get with the times.

“When I was a child, I rode a bike without a helmet. You wouldn’t let your child do that today, so why should we be exposed to the toxic chemicals that we now know is in second hand smoke,” Larson-Schusster said.

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Casinos have been pushing back saying that smoke-free casinos would hurt revenue and cost jobs. However, some research shows that smoke-free casinos generate more revenue and outperform competitors that allow smoking.

“I had a couple from Canada and they commented they wouldn’t be coming back because, in their country, they aren’t allowed to smoke in casinos and they hated it,” Larson-Schusster said.

The polls says Nevada voters also favor elected officials who support making casinos smokefree indoors. A majority (55%) would have a more favorable opinion of their legislators representing them in Carson City if they voted to make all workplaces smokefree indoors.



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Oregon lands commitment from Nevada punter

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Oregon lands commitment from Nevada punter


Oregon has found its next Australian punter.

Bailey Ettridge, who averaged 44.66 yards on 47 punts at Nevada this season, committed to transfer to the Ducks on Sunday. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

From Lara, Australia, Ettridge had 15 punts over 50 yards and 18 inside opponents’ 20-yard lines this season. He also had two carries for 26 yards, both of which converted fourth downs.

Ettridge replaces James Ferguson-Reynolds, who is averaging 41.64 yards on 33 punts for UO this season. Ferguson-Reynolds and Ross James are both out of eligibility after the season.

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Ettridge is the first scholarship transfer to Oregon this offseason and his addition gives the Ducks 81 projected scholarship players in 2026. He is the lone punter presently on the roster.



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‘Winnemucca Day’ helps fuel Backus, Wolf Pack to 58-40 win over Utah State

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‘Winnemucca Day’ helps fuel Backus, Wolf Pack to 58-40 win over Utah State


RENO, Nev. (Nevada Athletics) – Nevada Women’s Basketball returned to Lawlor for the first game of 2026, hosting Utah State.

The Pack picked up its first conference win of the season with the 58-40 victory over the Aggies.

Freshmen showed out for the Pack (5-9, 1-3 MW) with Skylar Durley nearly recording a double-double, dropping 12 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Britain Backus had five points to go along with two rebounds and a season high four steals.

Junior Izzy Sullivan also had an impactful game with 17 points, going 6-for-11 from the paint and grabbing five boards. She also knocked down Nevada’s only two makes from beyond the arc, putting her within one for 100 career threes.

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The Pack opened up scoring the first four points, setting the tone for the game. It was a close battle through the first 10 as Utah State (6-7, 2-2 MW) closed the gap to one.

However, Nevada never let them in front for the entire 40 minutes.

Nevada turned up the pressure in the second quarter, holding Utah State to a shooting drought for over four minutes. Meanwhile, a 5-0 scoring run pushed the Pack to a 10-point lead.

For the entire first 20, Nevada held Utah State to just 26.7 percent from the floor and only nine percent from the arc, going only 1-for-11.

For the Pack offense, it shot 48 percent from the paint. Nevada fell into a slump coming out of the break, only scoring eight points.

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It was the only quarter where the Pack was outscored.

The fourth quarter saw the Pack get back into rhythm with a 6-0 run and forcing the Aggies into another long scoring drought of just under four and a half minutes.

Durley had a layup and jumper to help with securing the win.

Nevada will remain at home to face Wyoming on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

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EDITORIAL: Nevada’s House Democrats oppose permitting reform

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EDITORIAL: Nevada’s House Democrats oppose permitting reform


Politicians of both parties have promised to fix the nation’s broken permitting system. But those promises have not been kept, and the status quo prevails: longer timelines, higher costs and a regulatory maze that makes it nearly impossible to build major projects on schedule.

Last week, the House finally cut through the fog by passing the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act. As Jeff Luse reported for Reason, the legislation is the clearest chance in years to overhaul a system that has spun out of control.

Notably, virtually every House Democrat — including Reps. Dina Titus, Susie Lee and Steven Horsford from Nevada — opted for the current regulatory morass.

The proposal addressed problems with the National Environmental Policy Act, which passed in the 1970s to promote transparency, but has grown into an anchor that drags down public and private investment. Mr. Luse notes that even after Congress streamlined the act in 2021, the average environmental impact statement takes 2.4 years to complete. That number speaks for itself and does not reflect the many reviews that stretch far beyond that already unreasonable timeline.

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The SPEED Act tackles these failures head on. It would codify recent Supreme Court guidance, expand the projects that do not require exhaustive review and set real expectations for federal agencies that too often slow-walk approvals. Most important, it puts long-overdue limits on litigation. Mr. Luse highlights the absurdity of the current six-year window for filing a lawsuit under the Environmental Policy Act. Between 2013 and 2022, these lawsuits delayed projects an average of 4.2 years.

While opponents insist the bill would silence communities, Mr. Luse notes that NEPA already includes multiple public hearings and comment periods. Also, the vast majority of lawsuits are not filed by members of the people who live near the projects. According to the Breakthrough Institute, 72 percent of NEPA lawsuits over the past decade came from national nonprofits. Only 16 percent were filed by local communities. The SPEED Act does not shut out the public. It reins in well-funded groups that can afford to stall projects indefinitely.

Some Democrats claim the bill panders to fossil fuel companies, while some Republicans fear it will accelerate renewable projects. As Mr. Luse explains, NEPA bottlenecks have held back wind, solar and transmission lines as often as they have slowed oil and gas. That is why the original SPEED Act won support from green energy groups and traditional energy producers.

Permitting reform is overdue, and lawmakers claim to understand that endless red tape hurts economic growth and environmental progress alike. The SPEED Act is the strongest permitting reform proposal in years. The Senate should approve it.

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