Speaking exclusively to SiGMA News, Dr. Bo Bernhard, professor at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas’s hospitality and gaming program, frames this transformation as part of the “Global Fun Economy”, a sector that now accounts for one in every seven dollars spent worldwide.​

Adding money to your bar-top slot machines could become easier with a new contactless, cashless system. Officials with UNLV’s International Gaming Institute say this system will also capture data, helping researchers understand gamblers' habits.

The convenience of Apple Pay, enjoyed by iPhone users at stores and online, is being used on a trial basis on bar-top slot machines at several Station Casinos properties, including Durango and Wildfire Anthem.

Researcher from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Discusses the State of AI in Gaming at America’s Largest AI Conference.

A UNLV study found streamers and vloggers primarily focus on betting strategy and game mechanics, while responsible gambling messages remain uncommon despite being linked to higher audience engagement.

The project leans into the city’s tradition of bold, themed architecture — joining a landscape that already includes a pyramid, a sphere, an Eiffel Tower, a castle, an 1,100-foot tower and a giant blue Gibson Les Paul guitar built where a volcano once stood.

The federal government rescheduled medical marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III, but what will that ultimately mean for the future of Nevada’s cannabis industry and could full federal legalization be on the horizon?

AI is one of the main iGaming industry trends in 2026, but adoption is uneven. A report published by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) International Gaming Institute and KPMG found that 81.5% of gambling companies use generative AI, 66.7% use conversational AI, and 60.5% use predictive AI (2026).

On June 29, the federal government will hold a hearing that will help decide whether all marijuana (not just medical cannabis and FDA-approved products) moves to Schedule III. Seven outside parties got a seat in the room. All seven oppose rescheduling. Not one supporter of reform made the list.

The top DEA administrative law judge will once again hear arguments for and against downgrading marijuana's status under federal law, but marijuana rescheduling is not guaranteed.

Mahsa Pashaeimeykola, a Ph.D. student in public health at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, talked about her study, “Exploring factors influencing cessation of gambling behavior using the Theory of Planned Behavior among college students,” on gambling as a public-health issue among young adults. Some 20 million U.S. adults report problematic gambling, while college students are particularly vulnerable, with as many as 14% meeting the criteria for problem gambling. That also correlates with problems with alcohol and drug use, she said. In their survey of students, some 40% could be categorized as moderate risk for problem gambling.

AI is changing all kinds of industries. So what impact is it having on casinos and gambling? A first-of-its-kind UNLV report explores how the gaming industry is tapping into AI.