Penn National, the operator that owns Hollywood Casino in Charles Town, West Virginia has proposed to make the casino cashless. The group already operates cashless locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.
Members of the West Virginia Lottery Commission are considering the proposal. However, some have concerns regarding how it will impact players going forward.
Ken Greear, the state Lottery Commission Chairman told MetroNews: "It’s just a matter of making sure the players do not have something that interrupts and or makes their enjoyment of the game more cumbersome or something that doesn’t work well."
The commission has also asked to see it in action before giving final approval. Penn National’s proposal must go through the testing process of the Lottery staff, which is anticipated to span several months.
VP and General Manager of Hollywood Casino at Charles Town, Scott Saunders, told MetroNews that it could be launched late this year. He also said that as people get used to being cashless at the casino, comfortability will grow.
Saunders commented: "I think the digital wallet and digital platform is the way many businesses are going, and we want to make sure we are a part of that moving forward."
In favor of the cashless move, Lottery Commission member Doug Bicksler added: "I don’t see this being any more cumbersome than cash."
Lottery Commission member Roy Shrewsbury said: "I need a better feeling. I need to see it in action."
Greear added: "We’re not looking at a situation that financially is going to impact staffing. It has to do with the handling of money, the transition."
The proposal will have to come back to the West Virginia Lottery Commission for final approval.
