LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas is getting one more novelty. Starting this week, patrons will be able to use the online currency Bitcoin to pay for rooms, food and drinks at two downtown casinos.
The D casino and the city’s oldest casino, the Golden Gate, will accept bitcoins at hotel front desks beginning Wednesday. The cybercurrency will also be accepted at the D’s gift shop and two restaurants. US dollars will remain the only currency accepted on the gambling floor.
Derek Stevens, the co-owner of the two casinos, said it’s tough to forecast how many patrons will pay with Bitcoin. “For us, it’s going to be somewhat exciting to see what kind of impact it’ll have,” he said.
Advocates describe Bitcoin as the foundation of a utopian economy: no borders, no change fees, no closing hours and no one to say what you can and can’t do with your money.