The concept of a pop-up casino is not precisely something new to Las Vegas; however, the development coming into the picture still excites every fan of the casino. If reports are to be believed, then the Nevada Gaming Commission could approve the recommendation of the Nevada Gaming Control Board to have a temporary casino built at Paradise Road and Convention Center Drive.
The NGC is likely to show the green signal to the idea in its next meeting, which is scheduled for May 18, 2023. As of now, United Coin Machine has requested to operate a pop-up casino on the land owned by Marriott International. Assuming the approval comes, it will benefit Marriott International by allowing the brand to keep it zoned, especially for a casino. Marriott could make it into a full casino resort experience, given the fact that the brand already owns 16 acres of land in that area.
The reason why pop-up casinos happen frequently is that owners of undeveloped lands look to keep the land designated for gaming purposes only.
A brand that secures the land for a pop-up casino must meet the basic requirements to ensure that they are eligible in the future as well. To start with, they must operate the casino for at least 8 hours every day for 18 months. Any license-holding brand that does not adhere to this requirement not only loses its credibility but they are also barred from offering gaming in the future.
Their 8 hours begin at 6 am. The minimum number of slot machines required to function in a pop-up casino is 16. Pop-Up casinos have the potential to offer an only-in-Vegas experience. Marriott International has been operating a pop-up casino for the past 17 years to make sure that the land remains zoned for gaming. It has plans in the works to finally launch a proper casino resort experience.
However, the land where Marriott operates its pop-up casino was earlier owned by The Beach nightclub. It purchased the land in 2006 following the closure of the nightclub.
Marriott gets an added advantage because it operates five hotels in the region with nearly a thousand rooms. These hotels are under the brand name:
- Springhill Suites
- Courtyard
- Marriott
- Renaissance
- Residence Inn
Las Vegas is making this advance at a time when seven state regulators have targeted illegal offshore online gambling. These are Illinois, Colorado, Mississippi, Louisiana, Nevada, and New Jersey. This coalition also has a new addition now – the Michigan Gaming Control Board.
The Board has asked attorney general Merrick Garland to address the issue, including significant threats related to offshore online gambling. Most of the issues related to the land of investment in the Department of Responsible Gambling, allowing minors to participate by ignoring age verification, having no control over money laundering, and the state is left without any revenue that could otherwise be used for the betterment of the region. Las Vegas is definitely climbing the ladder in the casino experience at a time when it could benefit more from local operators.
