LAS VEGAS (AP) — Prepaid debit cards tied to a casino
customer’s rewards account have been approved for wagering on slot
machines in Nevada.
The Nevada Gaming Commission voted 4-0
Thursday to approve amendments in state regulations, paving the way for
the use of the cards.
The action was taken with the support of
several major gambling companies and Sightline Payments, a Las
Vegas-based payment processing business, the Las Vegas Review-Journal
reported (http://bit.ly/NmQxAr ).
The parent Nevada Gaming Control Board must approve the technology before the cards can be used.
Attorney
Dennis Neilander, who represents Sightline, told the commission the
changes address concerns raised by the Nevada Council on Problem
Gambling, which has long fought the use of traditional credit cards on
gambling devices.
Monetary limits on the prepaid cards — also
called prepaid access cards — are governed by the U.S. Department of
Treasury, he said. Many banks also set cash limits on the cards, and
customers can place their own limits on what a card can hold.
The
cards can be tied to a customer’s player loyalty card that allows reward
points to be earned for betting and other activities in casinos.
Neilander,
a former Gaming Control Board chairman and an adviser to the Council on
Problem Gambling, said Sightline would place a message about problem
gambling visible to players when they load funds from a bank account to
the card. Sightline plans to negotiate deals with Nevada casino
operators.
Station Casinos Chief Financial Officer Marc Falcone
said the card would benefit patrons and addresses concerns raised by
responsible gambling proponents. The cards also would help cut casino
costs, he said.
"We have significant cost associated with obtaining and handling cash," Falcone wrote in a
letter to the commission.
MGM
Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment Corp. also supported
the regulation changes, as did slot-machine route operator United Coin
Machine.
United Coin General Manager Steve Des Champs said the
cards also would make it safer for customers because they would not need
to carry large amounts of cash.
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Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com
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