Nevada House Delegation Statement on SBA's Updated Paycheck Protection Program Guidelines for Gaming Small Businesses

Statement

U.S. Reps. Mark Amodei (R-Nev. -02), Susie Lee (D-Nev.-03), Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01), and Steven Horsford (D-Nev.-04) released the following statement on the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) newly updated guidelines to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which exclude small businesses that generate more than 50 percent of their revenue from legal gaming from using the program:

"Gaming is a vital part of Nevada's economy, not just for big hotels and casinos, but also for local restaurants, bars, convenience stores, and other small businesses. The administration continues to refuse to treat these small businesses fairly, putting them and their employees in grave danger of economic ruin. As the Nevada House delegation, we will work together to deliver help to gaming small businesses and their employees in upcoming coronavirus response packages."

BACKGROUND: PPP was enacted as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide small businesses with financial assistance to help them keep employees on payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The administration's initial PPP guidelines excluded small businesses that generate more than a third of their revenue from legal gaming. In an effort to expand eligibility, the updated guidelines exclude small businesses that generate more than 50 percent of their revenue from legal gaming, which still unfairly impacts countless small businesses throughout Nevada.

Last week, the bicameral, bipartisan Nevada congressional delegation sent a letter to House and Senate leadership urging them to include gaming small businesses in Nevada and across the country in PPP. Additionally, Rep. Amodei sent a letter to President Trump on April 7 to inform him of the issue and its need for his direct intervention.