Ah, there's nothing like it.
Nothing like gambling in Las Vegas and taking that hard-earned stack of casino chips to the 'cage' to turn it into cold, hard cash. From chips to bills in a matter of seconds.
It's a warm, fuzzy feeling.
In the wake of the coronavirus, however, that could be one more thing that changes in Vegas.
Concerned about touching money and potentially spreading the virus, as well as making it more difficult for some to launder money, Nevada gaming regulators have approved an expansion to cashless wagering that could actually eliminate the need for cash buyouts, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Instead, bettors could soon be making wagers with their cellphones and receiving their winners in the same manner.
While Vegas expects pushback from gamblers who are traditionalists and like the chips-and-cash method of wagering, at least one opponent has weighed in.
"The faster you can access your funds and in some cases drain an entire bank account is a concern for people with gambling problems who tend to be highly impulsive," Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, told the Journal.
The use of cashless payments has reportedly grown during the pandemic as businesses and consumers try to reduce contact at cash registers.
"The success of this hinges on player acceptance," Nevada Gaming Control Board member Phil Katsaros told the Journal. "The player acceptance hinges on the operators themselves convincing players to sign up for this."
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