Nevada Gaming Control Board Reviews Cashless Payment App
The Nevada Gaming Control Board spent a recent meeting reviewing a cashless gaming app by Sightline Payments.
As technology continues to change and consumers use various cashless ways to pay for products, the gaming world has had to adapt. The younger generation of gamblers are not accustomed to carrying cash, so gaming venues across the United States have to make changes to cater to this demographic. In Nevada, the Gaming Control Board recently spent time during a meeting to review a cashless gaming app by Sightline Payments, considering the option for Las Vegas.
Petition Submitted for Operations
Sightline Payments is a Las Vegas based company that offers financial technology to various industries. The company has submitted a petition to see the Nevada Gaming Commission Regulation 5.225 amended. With a change, the company would be able to offer cashless gaming in Nevada via remote verification.
Right now, regulations in the state require an individual to use a wagering account for gambling by visiting the establishment that is connected to the account. At the location, the individual must then provide an ID to an employee for verification.
The petition by Sightline would allow consumers to verify their account via digital authentication tools. Sightline already offers such services to Resorts World Las Vegas and Boyd Gaming and would like to provide such solutions across the board in Nevada.
The company submitted the proposal last year and it was refiled in 2021 to change the language that takes on the entire scope of the proposal. Jennifer Carleeton is the Sightline Chief Legal Officer who stated that the changes were made to ensure the language does not apply to online wagering accounts.
The staff members of the Board read over the petition and provided recommendations they felt were needed. The Board has agreed to host a hearing for the amendment proposal and if approved, it could be recommended to the Gaming Commission for further consideration.
Resorts Launches with Sightline Payments
Resorts World Las Vegas is the newest casino located on the Strip and the newest gambling venue to open in the area in ten years. The casino was the first to allow gamblers to use the Play+ solution by Sightline. The option allows players to gamble without having to use cash.
Joe Pappano, the co-CEO for Sightline, commented that there was a small issue regarding the cashless gaming app being used on-site. Customers sign up for a loyalty account at the casino kiosk and the account would be added to the player’s mobile via the Resorts World app.
The same app can be used for account wagering, but verification cannot be done via mobile. The individual must ask a casino employee to verify their identity before the account can be funded. With the amendment proposal, this issue would go away, making it super easy for gamblers to use the app for gameplay.
Registration for the option should take just a few minutes, but in a busy casino, it can take much longer. Because Resorts was new, the lines to sign up were quite long, sometimes with 100s of people in line waiting to get started.
The cashless payment option has received support from casino operators, but one seems to be in opposition. Station Casinos lawyer Marc Rubinstein recently submitted a letter which stated that the amendments to regulations would be in violation of Financial Crimes Enforcement Network regulations.
The attorney points out that casinos must document how customers are verified for gaming. He feels that players would be in violation of the regulations because the app would allow them to verify themselves and there would be no physical documentation.
