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Professional gamblers qualify for Nevada unemployment amid crisis

MGM Resorts International’s GameSense program promotes responsible gambling. (Benjamin Hager ...

Professional gamblers would normally not be allowed to file for unemployment insurance benefits in Nevada, but circumstances have changed amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

These workers may qualify as independent contractors or self-employed “during this unprecedented time and under the CARES Act,” said Rosa Mendez, a spokeswoman for the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

Professional poker player Chris Konvalinka told the Review-Journal last month that he was considering filing for unemployment benefits.

“We’ll see. I’m going to give it a shot,” he said. “It seems like a free roll to me. Worst case, they say no.”

For 2019, Nevada had a total of 119,232 weekly initial claims. In the past three weeks alone, 170,596 initial claims have been filed, according to a Friday statement from DETR.

Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0233. Follow @bailey_schulz on Twitter.

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