The Nevada Gaming Control Board has issued its recommendation for a proposed regulation change that would allow casino customers to establish wagering accounts for cashless gaming remotely. This comes after the Nevada attorney general’s office said the switch would not violate federal anti-money laundering law, The Nevada Independent reported.
The regulation proposed by Las Vegas-based Sightline Payments still has to be approved by the Nevada Gaming Commission, which is expected to happen during its January 2022 meeting.
This new proposal implies a change in the identity verification process casino customers must follow in order to set up a cashless wagering account. The regulation would allow casino patrons to use an app to register their information, fund a cashless gaming account and complete the sign-up process remotely, including utilizing ID verification.
The regulation change is for cashless wagering in casinos only. The language does not change Nevada’s requirements that a customer must visit a casino’s retail sportsbook to open a mobile sports betting account.
Deputy Attorney Michael Somps told the control board after reviewing documents developed by federal anti-money laundering regulators that he does not see any conflicts with federal law attached to this change. Attorney Marc Rubinstein, representing Station Casinos, who told the board otherwise, changed his position Thursday and aligned his speech to Somps’.
Sightline, which handles the payment process systems for casinos nationwide, is involved in the cashless gaming technology at Resorts World Las Vegas and nine Boyd Gaming properties in the Las Vegas area that allow cashless payments for slot machine play.
Sightline co-CEO Omer Sattar said during the hearing: “Today’s recommendation is a further step toward modernizing Nevada’s cashless infrastructure and ensuring Nevada remains the gold standard for gaming innovation”.
