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Fernley council removes hotel requirement for gaming businesses; ordinance adopted
Summary
Council adopted a development‑code amendment to allow standalone gaming establishments of any size without requiring a resort hotel, with staff saying existing gaming businesses are grandfathered and planning commission recommended approval 5‑0.
The Fernley City Council on Feb. 18 approved a code amendment (Bill 367, CA25010) to remove the resort‑hotel component from the definition of non‑restrictive gaming operations, allowing applicants to propose standalone gaming establishments of any size.
Lisa Warner, assistant planner, told council that developers had expressed frustration that the existing requirement to include a resort hotel made some gaming projects infeasible. Under the amendment, staff removed the resort‑hotel condition from several sections of the development code and updated the definition of a gaming establishment to cover any number of slot machines and related accessory uses, such as food service and ATMs.
Warner said all gaming establishments already active within the city are grandfathered and would not be required to add a hotel component. The Planning Commission reviewed the amendment and recommended approval by a 5‑0 vote on Jan. 14, 2026.
The council opened the public hearing but received no public comment. Councilman Hannon moved to approve Bill 367 as presented; the motion was seconded and passed 4‑0.
Staff recommended the change as a code‑clarifying measure to reduce regulatory barriers for developers; council members did not request substantive amendments during the hearing.
