In previous coverage here I’ve talked about cashless gaming, and shared my experiences with some of the systems that are out there. Replies to this content has normally been strongly opinionated, with many stressing their worries about such a system. One of the most consistently shared pieces of feedback is many of you don’t want to link your bank accounts.
The reasons are logical and obvious: Having a bank account linked to your cashless gaming account makes depositing more money you don’t want to spend a little too easy, that some are concerned about linking bank accounts to other systems in terms of the risk of fraud if something happens, etc.
Some players may stress to hear that among the cashless gaming systems being tested right now is one in Las Vegas that lets players use Apple Pay – you don’t even need your wallet to put money on a slot with that technology. (You can’t charge to a credit card, but you can use a debit card.)
Fortunately, for those of you who find that sort of option too close to your money and not helpful for maintaining bankroll discipline, there are solutions for you. I recently trialed a system that Morongo Casino had available that didn’t involve linking a bank account. Their system is called Money Klip, although the branding will likely vary by casino.
Their system basically allows players to bring cash to the cashier cage and have them load it onto your card. Then, at a slot, you load the machine using your balance similar to how you would free play. At the end, you can cash out to a ticket or put the balance back onto your card.
The ticket option is particularly helpful because it means you don’t have to go back to the cashier to withdraw the cash (although that option remains available if you have a big enough balance to make it less of a pain).
For those players who would like the control to load a specific amount to each machine, or those who bet large enough that feeding the machine $100 bills is a time investment (hey Brian Christopher!), this is the sort of setup that offers players the perks of using cashless gaming without having to link a bank account.
Their site indicates you can load more cash onto your account through a slot, since the money can go back and forth. I didn’t try this, but this feels similar to what’s possible on cruise ships, where if you put cash in you can load it back to your account when you cash out.
I tested this on a Thursday with no line at the cashier, so there’s certainly a bit of a risk of whether the cashier will be busy when you want to use this, and the wait involved to set it up accordingly. The person I walked up to at the cashier was a bit confused about what I was asking about, but the manager in the cashier knew what I was talking about.
It was clear there wasn’t much use of it so far, but as I’ve said here in the past cashless gaming doesn’t have the same immediate transformative benefit as shifting from coins to TITO tickets, so it’s understandable why it might not come up as often.
Ultimately, the system as implemented at Morongo worked seamlessly, and although a bit slower than loading cash allowed for the opportunity to be more precise. Want to load $36 into a machine? You can. And you can do so without having to load cash into every slot individually, and without needing to link a bank account.
The future will eventually be ticketless, and fortunately, casinos are offering enough flexibility that will ensure players can feel comfortable and confident.
