Sahara Becomes First Strip Casino to Accept Crypto at Cage

The Sahara Las Vegas is now the first Strip property to let guests fund casino play with cryptocurrency through its cage, according to Casino.org.

The 74-year-old north-Strip property is working with crypto-payments company BurraPay, whose system lets customers convert Bitcoin, Ethereum or Litecoin into chips or casino tickets. Customers are not wagering cryptocurrency directly, and the Sahara's cage operates around the clock.

BurraPay previously launched a comparable system at Circa Resort & Casino in downtown Las Vegas in June, which it describes as Nevada's first compliant cryptocurrency payment operation in the regulated gaming market and the state's first legal crypto-funded sports wager. Nevada's gaming regulator, the Nevada Gaming Control Board, signed off on BurraPay's system earlier in the year.

Sahara general manager Craig Pleva said in a statement that the property "continues to evolve with a focus on delivering a modern, seamless experience for our guests," adding that "expanding our payment options to include cryptocurrency is a natural next step, giving our guests greater flexibility and convenience while embracing the innovation shaping the future of Las Vegas."

The Sahara framed the addition as a way to broaden payment flexibility while staying within gaming regulations. Published instructions for the service set a minimum age of 21 and require users to hold an active Infinity Rewards account, show valid photo identification and go through an identity check ahead of any first deposit.

That one-time verification uses a secure link sent by text or email along with a selfie check. BurraPay charges a 5% fee on deposits, and the option applies only to casino gaming, not hotel rooms, restaurants or other resort purchases.

BurraPay says its platform is built to meet anti-money-laundering and gaming compliance standards, and that its blockchain-monitoring tools can flag potential problem-gambling behaviour in real time — a capability asserted by the vendor itself rather than confirmed by an outside tester.

In the company's statement, co-founder Luke Millanta said the June launch at Circa "made BurraPay the first compliant crypto payments provider to operate within Nevada's regulated gaming market," and that "bringing that experience to the Las Vegas Strip was the natural next step."

The company has indicated it is talking with other Nevada casino operators about adopting the same payment technology, with further rollouts anticipated over the months ahead.