GUEST
Jerry Markling, Chief of Gaming Enforcement, Nevada Gaming Division
BY MARIE ANDRUSEWICZ -- While certain individual casinos in Las Vegas have already banned the use of Google Glass, including MGM Resorts and Caesars, now the Nevada Gaming Division has officially recommended againstcasinos allowing patrons to use smart glasses – at least on the casino floor.
“There are legitimate purposes for this device, and we don’t want to prohibit that,” says Jerry Markling, Chief of Gaming Enforcement. “But we are concerned that they could be used for illegal purposes during game play, or on the casino floor.”
How could wearing Google Glass help players win, aside from distracting other gamblers who are mesmerized by the hipster cyborg effect?
According to Markling, the primary means of cheating with Google Glass would be while playing poker. Gamblers could potentially collude with another player who was wearing Google Glass, or receive assistance from members of the audience who are able to see the other player’s cards.
Asking casinos to ban the Glass in their playing areas will prevent the Gaming Division from having to prosecute these cases.
“Our concern, if they are being used for illegal purposes, it would be extremely difficult for us to determine that,” says Markling. “From an evidentiary standpoint we’d rather not go down that route.”