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.

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).

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.

The proposal comes days after Fertitta Entertainment agreed to acquire Caesars Entertainment, putting two of the largest U.S. casino operators at the center of major takeover deals.

With the Vegas Golden Knights set to open the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, the series is already being felt far beyond the ice. Southern Nevada businesses and workers are poised to benefit from a surge in sports-driven spending.

With the Vegas Golden Knights set to open the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, the series is already being felt far beyond the ice. Southern Nevada businesses and workers are poised to benefit from a surge in sports-driven spending.

It's the second major casino purchase offer in two months, but it didn't surprise one longtime observer of the Las Vegas gaming business.