Resorts World Las Vegas Casino Draws 20K for Grand Opening

The newest casino on The Strip, Resorts World Las Vegas, made headlines recently when it announced that it would be cashless throughout its operation, from gaming tables to restaurants to spa treatments.

At last week’s grand opening, folks curious to see how it would all work, or just those excited to see another casino in Sin City, turned out in droves.

More than 20,000 people came for the Resorts World grand opening on June 24, according to a report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Resorts World is the first newly built casino to launch on the famed Las Vegas Strip since 2010, when The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas opened, according to the report.

The $4 billion facility, on 88 acres, was developed by Malaysian-based Genting Berhad at the spot formerly occupied by the Stardust Casino. The crowd turning up last week was indicative of a return for Las Vegas as a top tourist attraction, with casinos allowed to operate at 100% capacity again after more than a year of reduced capacity because of protocols related to reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Cashless Casino on Las Vegas Strip

At a time when more business transactions and purchases are conducted in a non-contact manner where no actual physical cash is exchanged, the Resorts World facility is taking a leap of faith that more people will embrace a completely cashless experience at a casino.

The novelty certainly did not hurt the atmosphere at the casino’s opening, where about 5,500 were admitted for a private event before the rest of the people gathered for the opening were allowed inside.

“The Resorts World Las Vegas mobile app will better serve patrons by providing loyalty and personalization based off their preferences for guests enrolled in our Genting Rewards program,” Resort World Casino Operations Senior Vice President Rick Hutchins said in a statement.

The Resorts World Las Vegas Casino has more than 117,000 square feet of gaming space, including a sportsbook with a downloadable app. The facility is on the north end of The Strip between downtown Las Vegas and the McCarran International Airport.

The Strip has a new casino experience, but it is not the only one in the whole city. Downtown Las Vegas saw a new casino open last year when the Circa Resort and Casino opened in October.