Mobile gambling bill for Las Vegas casinos is debated by Nevada Senate

The Assembly Bill, the first of its kind in the United States, will permit Las Vegas casino and hotel guests to play mobile casino games on hotel property, in private as well as in the public areas, by the use of a proprietary mobile device.

Nevada Senators expressed no opposition to the bill, and carefully listened to testimony about the potential mobile casino tax revenues, which are projected at us$ 18.5 million just for the first year.

The proposed device will resemble a mobile smartphone, will include user verification technology including a PIN code, a GPS tracke, and possibly even more advanced user verification technology.

Guests of Las Vegas hotels will be able to deposit money directly onto the device, and play mobile casino games for real money while inside the ‘private areas’ of the casino. Today there are a few Las Vegas hotels which permit mobile casino gambling in the public areas, such as the swimming pool, but all gambling within the guest’s private hotel room is strictly forbidden.

Cantor Gaming, the chief proponent of the bill and the developer of the mobile casino software, had its president, Lee Amaitis, testify before the committee. He stated that in order to remain competitive in today’s world of instant gratification, it is essential for Las Vegas casino/hotels to offer mobile gambling options.

The Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, Mark Lipparelli, expressed concerns that children and teens will be able to get a hold of the device. His concerns were partially quashed by the Cantor Gaming president, who listed a number of safety features to prevent unauthorized use of the device. Amaitis also noted that over the past few years the number of children visiting Las Vegas has declined to just 7%.

Cantor Gaming president ended the session by testifying that Las Vegas has slowly become a leisure destination, and fewer couples today are willing to spend their entire vacations gambling on the casino floor. The device would allow Las Vegas hotel guests to both play mobile slots while still enjoying the intimacy of spending quality time within their hotel rooms.