Bitcoin is a new cyber currency that is beginning to become an acceptable form of payment at a wide range of shops. Now, casinos are beginning to recognize the value of accepting bitcoins, and two gambling venues in Las Vegas have taken the leap. This week, the D Las Vegas Casino and the Golden Gate Hotel and casino announced that they will start accepting Bitpay as currency for hotel rooms and in shops.

Bitcoin will not be accepted on the casino floor as of yet. “We’re located in the growing high-tech sector of downtown Las Vegas, and like all things downtown, we’re quickly adaptive to new technology," says Derek Stevens, co-owner of both casinos. "For us, it's going to be somewhat exciting to see what kind of impact it'll have”. Mr Stevens notes that many patrons have inquired about bitcoins over the course of the past year.

It seems that more and more consumers have bitcoins to spend, and some casino operators are willing to allow their use at shops, restaurants and hotels on the property. He states that early adopters of the technology will benefit the most from Bitcoin, so it will be interesting to see how the acceptance of the currency will affect the casinos. iPads will be installed at cashiers across both casino sites.

They will allow patrons to access the BitPay platform and load the currency into their digital wallets. It will be a completely unique experience to any land-based casino. It will likely be quite some time before casinos accept bitcoins on poker machines and other casino games. The issue would have to be presented to lawmakers in order to have local gambling regulators approve bitcoin wagers.

Several online casinos also accept bitcoin wagers, but it has yet to catch on in the mainstream market place. Zynga and Ebay’s adoption of the currency could certainly help to boost its profile.

About the Author

George Anderson
Author George, has over 25+ years’ experience in the Pokies and Casinos industry throughout Australia and New Zealand. Loves to research new Pokies games on the block and follows announcements from top industry providers about their upcoming releases. As soon as a new interesting pokie game appears on his radar, George is there to check it out and give you the scoop before anyone else and tell you about all casino sites where can play the latest game. Before this gig, George worked as Pokie game tester, making him an ideal candidate for this genre of work. He is also an animal lover and a proud owner of three dogs.