Entering the cashless age

Established in the early 1900s, Las Vegas has now made a name for itself as the gambling and entertainment capital of the world. Now, its casinos are stepping into the future by adopting cashless gaming, and the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) has just made that transition a lot easier.

Patrons can create wagering accounts online and upload ID documents

At the end of a one-hour hearing on Thursday, the gaming regulator gave unanimous approval to remote registration for cashless gaming and payment accounts. This will allow gamblers to sign up for a casino’s cashless system without traveling to the actual property. Patrons can create wagering accounts online and upload ID documents for verification.

The move comes after complaints were raised regarding the slow uptake of cashless gaming among casino customers.

Notably, the NGC has only approved remote cashless registration for casino gambling. Sports betting and horse racing accounts will still require in-person registration for the time being.

Not much opposition

Thursday’s hearing did spark some debate, albeit short-lived. Commissioners raised the issue of possible identity fraud and questioned whether they needed to introduce regulatory reform. This opposition soon subsided though, and Station Casinos also dropped its own opposition to the remote signup over possible violations of anti-money laundering laws.

Omer Sattar, the CEO of Sightline, the company that launched the world’s first cashless payment system for casino gambling at Resorts World Las Vegas, voiced his support of the remote registration. He said it would allow “Nevada’s gaming industry to leverage the best practices from across the financial-services industry to enhance customer security and the customer experience.”

The chief executive said remote signups could begin in March this year.

Gaming embraces cashless

Since the COVID-19 pandemic intensified the need for hygienic casino gambling, the US gaming industry has made significant strides towards cashless gaming. Many casino providers have increased their focus on producing cashless solutions to cater to this new need.

In fact, IGT and Scientific Games have even joined forces to combine cashless technology through a cross-licensing deal. The pair announced the agreement in March last year, allowing them to sell the same patented cashless casino management systems to operators across the US.

fully integrated, turnkey cashless gaming solution

IGT recently received regulatory approval in Nevada for cashless technology. Now, the supplier can deploy its fully integrated, turnkey cashless gaming solution that allows for external funding – IGT ADVANTAGE. Through this, players can use their mobile devices to add funds into a gaming account.

This new cashless era isn’t just restricted to Nevada however. Cashless gaming arrived on the Ohio scene in October when Holywood Casino Columbus rolled out the technology through its mobile app.?