No Cash? No Problem: Light & Wonder Installs First Cashless Slot Machines in Nevada

Light & Wonder (L&W) is joining the cashless gaming trend by deploying its first slot machines equipped with pay-by-bank technology. A screengrab of a Light & Wonder marketing video promoting its RapidPlay pay-by-bank technology in 2024. The gaming manufacturer placed its first cashless slot machines on a Nevada casino floor in October 2026. (Image: LinkedIn/Casino.org) L&W first announced its RapidPlay cashless gaming solution in 2024. This week, the gaming manufacturer said its first slots featuring the pay-by-bank technology were placed at the Crystal Bay Casino in Crystal Bay, Nev. In 2024, Jeff Allen, then the senior director of production management at L&W, said RapidPlay allows players to move money directly from their bank account to the slot machine. I think of it as an ATM at the slot machine,” said Allen. “Rather than the player walking over and withdrawing money from an ATM and inserting it into a slot machine, they can do everything right there at the point of play.” L&W’s RapidPlay is powered by Koin Payments, a leading pay-by-bank provider servicing the gaming industry. L&W had initially partnered with Trustly for RapidPlay, but later severed the partnership. L&W is among the world’s largest gambling companies, with a market capitalization of $7 billion. Pandemic Pushed Cashless Gaming Before the COVID-19 pandemic, casinos operated predominantly as cash-based businesses. The health crisis helped accelerate the gambling industry’s modernization to align with a broader societal shift toward a cashless ecosystem, driven by recommendations to reduce physical touchpoints to slow the spread of the virus. The Nevada Gaming Commission subsequently approved requirements for gaming manufacturers to develop cashless gaming systems. RapidPlay allows a slots player to capture a QR code with their mobile camera. The link opens a secure banking transfer executed by Koin that instantly moves funds from the person’s checking or savings account to the gaming machine. RapidPlay does not require the user to download a mobile app or be a member of the casino’s rewards program. L&W plans to roll out the cashless slots to additional casinos across Nevada in the coming months. Crystal Bay is proud to be the first location. “At Crystal Bay Casino, we’re always looking for innovative ways to enhance the guest journey. Being the first casino to deploy RapidPlay reflects our commitment to embracing new technology that adds convenience for our guests,” said Eric Roe, general manager at Crystal Bay Casino. Cashless Gaming Movement In July, Station Casinos rolled out cashless slot and poker machines featuring Apple Pay at several of its casinos and gaming taverns across the Las Vegas Valley. Developed by Las Vegas tech startup Adostics, TrustedTap allows players to instantly move money from a debit card stored in the Apple Wallet to a gaming machine. The TrustedTap technology comes with responsible gaming safeguards, including self-imposed wager limits. The post No Cash? No Problem: Light & Wonder Installs First Cashless Slot Machines in Nevada appeared first on Casino.org.