Mobile Handheld Gambling Devices

The Nevada Gaming Commission recently passed mobile gaming regulations that allow gamblers to be able to leave the casino floor and still be able to take part in the games going on within the casino. Portable bingo devices have been around since the 1990s, but the devices weren’t allowed to leave the bingo halls. This new regulation allows the use of handheld devices for gambling in any public area of the state’s casinos, except for hotel rooms and other places that cannot be supervised. These devices for example can be used while eating at restaurants or while your just lounging around the pool. Since the electronic bingo devices didn’t replace paper, major casino owners are taking a wait-and-see approach. As a couple casinos are trying this new device, major casino owners are going to be paying attention to the devices demand and how technology will unfold. An opponent of this regulation says, “It will be hard to keep these mobile devices out of the hands of minors.” I’m not in favor of this new regulation, but I do have to agree with them that this will better use other resort space. Economically, this might be beneficial to the casino and the other spaces where money is being spent, but it will be hard to stop minors from gambling. What’s your opinion about allowing portable handheld casino devices outside casino floors?