Casino gamblers have a reason to rejoice. It will soon be possible to play slot machines, poker blackjack and more while sitting pool side.
Nevada regulators gave slot machine giant International Game Technology an endorsement on Wednesday, to compete in an upcoming market for of hand-held, mobile gambling devices.
This follows the May licensing of Cantor Gaming as the state's first licensed manufacturer and distributor of the devices. Cantor Gaming initiated the 2005 legislative effort to allow wireless gambling in Nevada.
Following this legislation and those passed in March 2006 Nevada had become the first state to allow wireless gambling in any public area of a casino. But while the lounges, restaurants, lobbies and pool sides are all valid areas for wireless gambling, the hotel rooms and other areas that cannot be monitored are not.
According to IGT's director of research laboratory, Amy Monette, the market studies show that many gamblers are interested in not being "chained to a slot machine, so to speak".
This technology will make better use of the resorts space, which is now mostly used for non-gambling activity like dining, shopping etc.
Biometric fingerprint readers were optioned as a way to ensure minors aren't gambling, but Monette said some of the surveyed players view the print readers "an invasion of privacy."
Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander responded, referring to the casinos tight security systems: "Do they realize a surveillance camera is on them every second?"
Email this page
Print this page
Bookmark with del.icio.us
