No More ‘Ka-Ching’ in Vegas Slot Machines?

Bally’s Las Vegas is bringing so-called coinless slot machines, already in some off-Strip casinos favored by locals, to the Strip. The machines allow users to print out their winnings in tickets rather than coins, which can be inserted into slot machines for play or redeemed for cash.

Last month, the hotel began installing about 135 such machines as an experiment, and it plans to start operating them in the next two weeks, said Andy Maiden, spokesman for Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas, both owned by Park Place Entertainment. If the test succeeds, the majority of the slots will be converted at the two hotels, he added. Bally’s alone has 1,840 slot machines.

The system reduces the need for staff to make change and also is convenient for customers who don’t want to haul around heavy buckets of coins. Users can choose to receive coins or tickets except for “smaller denominations” (the exact amount will be determined later), Maiden said.