State legality guide

Are pull tabs legal in Nevada?

Barely, and only in a legal gray zone. Nevada is the only state whose constitution bans a lottery, so there is no lottery pull-tab product and regulators treat pull tabs as an unauthorized lottery, yet they still surface informally for sale in some Las Vegas-area bars and taverns.

Reviewed July 24, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.

Limited in NevadaNevada Gaming Control Board
Legal?
Gray area: unauthorized lottery, informal only
Who can run it
No one openly; some unregulated bar sales
Electronic pull tabs
No sanctioned product
Minimum age
21
Regulator
Nevada Gaming Control Board
Governing law
Nev. Const. art. 4 §24; NRS ch. 462

Nevada is the only state whose constitution outright bans a state lottery, so there is no lottery-run break-open or pull-tab ticket the way Oregon has. State regulators treat pull tabs as an unauthorized form of lottery, and even licensed charities have been denied permission to run them. Despite that, the Nevada Gaming Control Board's own enforcement staff have described pull tabs as sitting in a penumbra of illegality, and they still turn up for sale in some Las Vegas-area bars and taverns. They are not openly authorized, but they are not entirely absent either.

No state lottery and no authorized pull-tab product

Nevada is the only state whose constitution specifically prohibits a state lottery. An effort to change that (Assembly Joint Resolution 5) cleared the Legislature in 2023 but died without a second hearing in 2025, so it did not reach the 2026 ballot and the ban remains in force.

Because pull tabs are legally a form of lottery, there is no state lottery selling break-open or instant-pull tickets, and Nevada casinos do not offer them. Industry guides note plainly that Nevada does not permit lotteries, and the game is not a house game that casinos have any incentive to carry.

Charitable gaming does not cover pull tabs

Nevada does regulate charitable lotteries and games under NRS Chapter 462 and Gaming Regulation 4A. Qualifying nonprofits register with and are approved by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, and ticket sales must be made to people physically in Nevada.

However, that framework centers on raffles, drawings, and approved charitable games. Pull tabs are not a named, authorized charitable-gaming product, and the Board has treated requests to run them as unauthorized lotteries, so licensed nonprofits cannot openly offer them the way charities can in classic pull-tab states.

A persistent gray-market presence

Even without authorization, pull tabs have not disappeared. A Nevada Gaming Control Board enforcement supervisor has described them as living in a penumbra of illegality, and games marketed under names like Nevada Tickets circulate in the state.

Yelp maintains active pull tabs and bars with pull tabs categories for Las Vegas and North Las Vegas that return real venues, indicating some bars and taverns do carry them. This availability is inconsistent and depends heavily on local enforcement and interpretation rather than any clear statewide authorization, and any gambling is limited to players 21 and older.

Where can I play pull tabs in Nevada?

There is no legally sanctioned place to buy pull tabs in Nevada. Some Las Vegas and North Las Vegas bars and taverns are listed as carrying them, but that sits in an unregulated legal gray zone where availability is inconsistent and enforcement-dependent, and players must be 21 or older for any gambling.

Find a spot54 places to play pull tabs in Nevada

Sources

Official regulators, statutes, and lotteries this page is based on. Laws change; verify anything you rely on.