The Las Vegas Bitcoin Scene

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The Las Vegas Bitcoin Scene
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Bitcoin is all the rage with currency speculators around the world. There’s good reason for this. The digital currency started at zero in 2009 and has risen to a value near $6,000 in 2017. The idea behind Bitcoin and other digital currencies makes a lot of sense. Bitcoin is an anonymous currency that works peer to peer and without the potential problems that regulated banks may bring.

The cryptocurrency has seen international and online success. However, Bitcoin and cryptocurrency haven’t taken off at retail in the United States yet. Even though Las Vegas is sometimes on the cutting edge, Bitcoin has barely made a blip on the radar of most businesses. Bitcoin is still just getting off the ground so this shouldn’t be a surprise.

Related: bitcoin 101 | Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies

The first business that most people think of when the subject is Las Vegas are casinos. The casinos are heavily regulated and have almost entirely shunned Bitcoin. The D casino in downtown Las Vegas is the first casino to embrace Bitcoin. Along with their sister property, Golden Gate, they were the first casinos in Las Vegas to accept Bitcoin for hotel room reservations in 2014.

Bitcoin cannot be used to gamble at The D or Golden Gate casinos. However, you can use their Bitcoin ATM’s to get funds for the tables or slot machines. American Coney Island at The D accepts Bitcoin payments but only sees a transaction a couple of times a year, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

The most popular business to accept Bitcoin right now seems to be The Legends Room. The Las Vegas gentlemen’s club accepts all forms of payment including Bitcoin. Digital currency is accepted to join the club and for any goods or services inside the club besides gambling. The club encourages the use of digital currency and tokens by offering a 20% discount on everything besides gambling. Another way to say this is that cash and credit card customers here pay 20% more.

Bitcoins for Cash

Your options are limited if you want to exchange your Bitcoins for cash when visiting Las Vegas. In addition to The D and Golden Gate, The Plaza and Lucky Dragon are the only casinos where you’ll find a Bitcoin ATM.

There are no proper Las Vegas Strip casinos with a Bitcoin ATM. There’s actually one Bitcoin ATM close to a casino on the Vegas Strip. You will be able to find a Bitcoin ATM at Ketchup which is located inside the Miracle Mile Shops mall at PLANET HOLLYWOOD Las Vegas Resort. This is just a few minutes away from the casino.

The majority of Bitcoin ATM’s are in the surrounding areas of Las Vegas. The good news is that most of the Las Vegas Bitcoin ATM locations haven’t changed too often over the years. You can find Las Vegas Bitcoin ATM’s at the following locations according to Coin ATM Radar.

  • 24/7 Xpress (785 W. Craig Rd)
  • 76 Gas Station (4708 W. Charleston Blvd)
  • 76 Gas Station (3965 E. Charleston Blvd)
  • Champagnes Cafe (3557 S. Maryland Pkwy)
  • Country Club Auto Spa (9260 S. Eastern Ave)
  • Darkside Games (9620 S. Las Vegas Blvd)
  • Davidson’s Firearms (10890 S. Eastern Ave)
  • Deja Vu Love Boutique (3247 Sammy Davis Jr Dr)
  • Jackson’s Bar and Grill (6020 W. Flamingo Rd)
  • Mini Mart Smoke Shop (4705 S. Durango Dr)
  • Mr. Bills Smoke and Cigar (4441 W. Flamingo Rd)
  • Mr. Bill’s Smoke Shop (8450 W. Sahara Ave)
  • Pump n Snack (329 N. Las Vegas Blvd)
  • Rocket Fizz (Village Square – 9410 W. Sahara Ave)
  • Smoke House 2 (1502 N. Jones Blvd)
  • Sinclair (1420 W Bonanza Rd)
  • Sin City Vapor III (90 S. Stephanie)
  • Tac Boutique (3639 Las Vegas Blvd S)

Bitcoin in Las Vegas is still in its infancy. You can exchange for traditional currency in about 20 locations including three casinos in downtown Las Vegas. However, you can only use Bitcoin for goods in two of those casinos. The most well known properties on the Vegas Strip still aren’t Bitcoin-friendly. At this time it doesn’t appear as if there is enough demand to change how Bitcoin is accepted in Las Vegas.

Marc grew up on the mean streets of the South Bronx. He's the rare combination of Yankees and Jets fan which explains his often contrarian point of view. He learned about gambling at a young age working down the street from a bookie who took action on anything from the mainstream sports to the last three digits of the purse for certain horse races. Yeah, that's a thing. Today Marc is a freelance writer and social media consultant which allows him to work anywhere there's a wifi signal. This allows him to work from the sportsbook at Red Rock Resort or the food court at The Venetian where you’ll find fast and free wifi. Writing about steak, booze, gambling and Las Vegas is a tough job but somebody has to do it.