Resorts World Las Vegas (Resorts World) is set to open on June 24. The first casino built from the ground up on the Vegas Strip in a decade will also be the most technologically advanced. Resorts World is introducing a groundbreaking integrated cashless experience for all guests at the property.
Customers will be able to use a cashless system powered by numerous companies through its RWLV app. The cashless solution can be used on and off the casino floor. No other casino in the world currently allows guests to use one app for cashless purchases at retail and on the casino floor.
Further, Resorts World is the first casino that will offer cashless gaming at both table games and slot machines from one single solution.
Groundbreaking partnerships
This is sort of the holy grail for a cashless casino experience that has been talked about for years. There are a variety of reasons this kind of solution hasn’t been available in casinos before. One of the difficulties in offering a truly cashless experience is the actual technology used for an integrated experience.
Resorts World will use technology from Sightline Payments (JOINGO and Play+), Konami Gaming, IGT, NRT Technology, and Genesis Gaming to offer an array of technology not found in any individual casino in the world. Sightline Payments JOINGO is powering the RWLV app that puts everything together.
The names of these companies won’t be important to the customer experience since their cooperation working together will provide guests with a single cashless experience. Rick Hutchins, Senior Vice President, Casino Operations at Resorts World says:
“The Resorts World Las Vegas mobile app will better serve patrons by providing loyalty and personalization based on their preferences for guests enrolled in our Genting Rewards program.”
This endeavor is taking cooperation from all of these companies to make one simple solution for guests at Resorts World. Sightline Payments and its Play+ system is the product that is the springboard for the seamless cashless part of the app.
“Launching cashless gaming solutions at the first major Las Vegas casino opening in a decade presents a tremendous opportunity for Sightline to further the digital transformation of the consumer experience in gaming,” said Joe Pappano, CEO of Sightline Payments.
Future visitors to Resorts World Las Vegas can sign up for a Genting Rewards account in advance of a visit here. This will give connect all of the technology offered using the RWLV app.
Setting up a Resorts World cashless account
The RWLV app is the home to the Resorts World rewards program and digital wallet. This is necessary to open a cashless gaming account and must be downloaded before opening an account.
After the app is downloaded, guests must visit Resorts World to set up a rewards account and cashless account in person at the casino. Customers may fund the app with cash, credit card, or debit card.
After the initial setup, customers can fund the account anywhere using Play+ on directly from the RWLV app on their mobile device.
There’s currently a $2,000 daily limit on deposits for anyone. High rollers can make special arrangements to deposit more funds.
Players can set daily limits on how much they spend in the casino. This is a thoughtful solution for those who may run into issues and gamble more than they can afford.
Players can also limit the times when they can use the cashless solution. This will allow someone to limit late-night spending when they may have had too much to drink and make less inhibited choices. Players can also see wins and losses in real-time to decide if they should stop gambling.
Sightline’s SVP Strategic Development and Government Affairs Jonathan Michaels told PlayNevada that this technology could revolutionize responsible gaming. Last year, Sightline partnered with UNLV to study the spending habits of cashless gaming. The results will be made public once there’s enough information to share.
Using a Resorts World cashless account
The Resorts World cashless account can be used throughout the property. The same account can be used at table games, slot machines, restaurants, bars, etc. Resorts World is the only casino in the world that is offering this.
Table game players scan a QR code for the number of chips they’d like to use at the table. If the session goes well, the player will color up and scan the QR code to add the funds back into the app. The process is similar when playing slot machines without the QR code.
Similar to businesses outside of casinos, guests can have their app scanned at non-gaming amenities at Resorts World. Here’s an example of a potential integrated experience that may be based on real-life events.
A player has a heater at the craps table and wants to celebrate their winnings with friends. They can head to one of the bars and buy a round of drinks for the crew. While enjoying the celebratory drink, they can make reservations for a restaurant on the RWLV app. After dinner, they can pay for the meal through the app as well.
This kind of cashless can’t happen at any other casino in Las Vegas or the rest of the world.
Cashless fees
This seamless experience comes with a price. Resorts World charges a 2.95% fee every time the account is funded. That’s a $2.95 fee for every $100 deposited into a cashless account. The maximum daily fee would be $59 for the $2,000 maximum deposit per day. Players can still gamble with cash or chips if they choose.
Guests can still charge non-gaming items to their room folio for no additional fee. However, that will not allow access to cashless gaming funds.
More tech at Resorts World
The cashless system isn’t the only innovative technology that will be available at Resorts World when it opens. The company is using technology as a way to stand out from the competition on the Vegas Strip.
Rick Hutchins, Senior Vice President, Casino Operations at Resorts World says:
“Our vision at Resorts World Las Vegas has always been to provide first-of-its-kind experiences across every element of the resort, including gaming. Through our partnerships with best-in-class gaming technology partners, we will offer our guests a fully integrated experience, not just on the gaming floor, but across the entire resort.”
Resorts World will offer Ticket-in-Ticket out (TITO) for table games and machines. This will allow guests to move from slots to tables or vice versa by simply using the cash-out vouchers. This will eliminate the need to find a ticket redemption center to exchange the voucher for cash and then go to the table to buy chips. This simple technology should have been implemented years ago but that’s another story.
Resorts World will be the first casino resort to introduce “Smart Table.” These games will use RFID embedded chips for every dollar denomination. This will provide 100% accuracy of guests’ gaming activity.
Earlier this year, Resorts World announced a partnership with cryptocurrency exchange Gemini. The two companies will work together to see how cryptocurrency can be used at the property. At this time, cryptocurrency cannot be used to fund a cashless account.
Resorts World has already jumped into the Non-Fungible Token (NFT) craze. Its first auction for an NFT an original 1 of 1 art piece created and drawn by Liam Payne, scored by resident DJ Zedd and animated by Sillygabe featuring spoken word from Gary Vee has already closed with a winning bid of $122,222.00.
Just the beginning
The coronavirus pandemic changed how many people use technology and spend money. Cashless purchases have never been more popular. Casino operators have seen this and are adjusting as legally permitted.
In an interview with the Las Vegas Sun in February, Omer Sattar, Executive Vice President and co-founder of Sightline Payments said “we believe you’ll see 60-70% of the U.S. casino industry offering some form of cashless.”
During an interview today, Michaels told PlayNevada to expect more casinos to adopt cashless gaming solutions even sooner.
It appears as though other Las Vegas casino operators will be watching the cashless gaming rollout at Resorts World very closely. If all goes well there could be more Las Vegas casino operators following Resorts World’s technological advancements.
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