How much is that in bitcoin? Resorts World Las Vegas will become the first casino-resort to accept cryptocurrency payments when it opens this summer. Olivia Palamountain reports
In a sign of the times, Resorts World Las Vegas has confirmed it will accept cryptocurrency for select services when it opens on June 24, thanks to a partnership with cryptocurrency exchange and custodian, Gemini.
The vast 3,500 room resort has been designed to harness the latest technology throughout so integrating crypto makes perfect sense.
“As the first ground-up resort development on the Strip in more than a decade, Resorts World Las Vegas is committed to integrating innovative technology conveniences across the resort to enhance the overall guest journey,” says Scott Sibella, president of Resorts World Las Vegas.
“By partnering with Gemini, a leader in cryptocurrency exchange, we are taking another step toward providing progressive guest experience solutions for today’s Las Vegas traveller.”
Gemini CEO, Tyler Winklevoss (of Facebook/The Social Network fame) commented: “Whether it’s the ability for their customers to use cryptocurrency at Resorts World Las Vegas or convert dollars into crypto, being one of the first to support crypto is a great way to meet the needs of the next generation of customers and provide a 21st-century experience.”
This is not the first time the travel industry has embraced digital currencies. Back in 2018, Globetrender covered an app called Tripio, which offered a collection on some 450,000 hotels available to book using a cryptocurrency called Ethereum. Participating hotels included the spectacular Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and the Ritz-Carlton in Tokyo.
Expedia experimented with bitcoin payments for a short period, Cheapair has long accepted cryptocurrencies, and you can even book a space flight on Virgin Galactic with bitcoin.
Today, the trend for crypto-integrated experiences in the travel industry is exploding. As covered in a recent issue of Globetrender’s premium newsletter VOLT, the Bobby Hotel in Nashville became one of the first independent hotels in the US to accept cryptocurrency payments for overnight reservations and events, while in March this year, Travala announced that it was allowing consumers to pay for flights with cryptocurrencies.
In February, it said 68 per cent of all travel bookings on travala.com were made with cryptocurrencies, “indicating a growing appetite among consumers to spend crypto on real-world goods and services”.