The push to expand film tax credits and turn Las Vegas into a major moviemaking destination has become a heated issue in Nevada, a state known for underfunding its essential services.

A bill before state lawmakers that would have increased the credits by 1,800 percent died in 2023, but the issue isn’t gone. Lawmakers are expected to bring it back in the 2025 session.

In a panel with Sony Pictures Entertainment President and Chief Operating Officer Ravi Ahuja and David O’Reilly, CEO of Howard Hughes Corporation, a real estate and community development company, The Nevada Independent CEO and Editor Jon Ralston sought to understand the case for Nevadans supporting the idea.

Nevadans will benefit from an expanded, diversified economy, Ahuja said.

“The money finds its way through the economy,” he said. “That’s the essence of economic development. You have to believe that.” 

Watch the full panel discussion here: