SAHARA Las Vegas Adds Crypto Payments At Cage
SAHARA Las Vegas has begun accepting cryptocurrency at its casino cage through payments provider BurraPay, becoming the first casino on the Las Vegas Strip to announce compliant crypto-funded gaming transactions.
BurraPay announced the launch on October 14, 2026. The move follows other attempts to bring digital assets into regulated gaming, such as the crypto payment integration planned for casino tables.
Guests can deposit Bitcoin, Ethereum or Litecoin at the casino cage and receive chips or tickets in return, according to the BurraPay announcement. Crypto cannot be used directly at tables or slot machines, so play and winnings stay in US dollars.
Coverage by This Week in Gambling adds that the service runs at the 24-hour cage, requires a valid photo ID and an active Infinity Rewards account, and applies a 5% service fee to every deposit. First-time users complete a short identity verification before funds are processed and converted. The option covers casino play only, not hotel rooms, retail or dining.
Regulation And Compliance
BurraPay describes its patented platform as built to meet the standards of US gaming regulators, a barrier it says had kept cryptocurrency out of Nevada's licensed casinos.
It says its technology covers secure, AML-compliant use of crypto in casino settings, and that its blockchain monitoring tools can detect problem gambling behaviour in real time.
SAHARA says it must follow Nevada gaming rules and anti-money-laundering standards, which is why identity checks apply to every deposit. The resort has not described any wider rollout, and the checks mean the service is aimed at registered rewards members rather than walk-in visitors.
What The Companies Said
SAHARA general manager Craig Pleva said expanding payment options to include cryptocurrency is a natural next step that gives guests more flexibility and convenience, and that BurraPay allows the casino to introduce the option thoughtfully and responsibly.
BurraPay co-founder and chief technology officer Luke Millanta said the company's downtown launch in June made it the first compliant crypto payments provider to operate in Nevada's regulated gaming market, and that bringing the product to the Strip was the logical next step. The company says that launch processed the first legal crypto-funded sports wager in Las Vegas history.
About The Resort
SAHARA Las Vegas is owned and operated by the Meruelo Group on the north end of the Strip. It has 1,613 rooms across three towers, a 60,000-square-foot casino with more than 650 slot machines and over 30 table games, and a sportsbook operated by William Hill.
The cage launch is a test of whether regulated Nevada operators and their players want crypto as a funding route when everything is converted to dollars at the cage. Take-up figures have not been published, and other Strip properties have not yet said whether they will follow.
The launch also sits within a wider push by suppliers to offer regulated crypto rails to Nevada operators, where compliance sign-off has been the main hurdle. Players who want to use the service should check the cage requirements and the 5% fee before depositing, and remember that every deposit is converted to dollars before play begins.
