A proposal submitted by Sightline Payments that would allow Nevada casinos to accept remote application for a cashless gaming account was approved the state Gaming Control Board last week. The nod was given after regulators were assured that the measure didn’t violate any federal money laundering laws. Up until the present day, players had to present themselves in person and show a government ID in order to set up an account.
Under the new regulations, a player can use an app to input their information, upload a copy of the ID, and fund the account.
Marc Rubinstein, an attorney representing Station Casinos, last month had raised concerns about proposal and a possible violation of federal law, but at last week’s hearing he agreed with Deputy Attorney Michael Somps. “I don’t see there is any conflict with federal law,” Somps told the board.
“We’re comfortable that there’s no longer an issue with the federal law,” Rubinstein said. “I wanted to kind of close the loop since I was essentially the disrupter of the last workshop.”
Sightline co-CEO Omer Sattar said the approval upheld Nevada’s reputation as the “gold standard” for gaming innovation.
“Continuous innovation is critical to ensure Nevada remains at the forefront of gaming, and we could not do that without the support of our regulators,” Sattar said. “I would like to thank all the members of the Nevada Gaming Commission and Nevada Gaming Control Board for their efforts, and I would like to specifically thank Gaming Control Board member Phil Katsaros, who was a champion of this change.”
“This shift to allow for digital identity verification for wagering accounts allows Nevada’s gaming industry to leverage the best practices from across the financial services industry to enhance customer security and the customer experience,” said Jennifer Carleton, Sightline’s chief legal officer. “Nevada’s new regulation is in line with federal guidance permitting both new verification methods including knowledge-based authentication, as well as traditional documentary measures such as a customer’s driver’s license or passport. We look forward to working with regulators in gaming jurisdictions across the country to advance similar regulatory innovation.”
The approval of this regulation only applies to a cashless gaming account in a casino. It’s still not possible to set up a sports betting account remotely in Nevada.
