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Atlantic City’s Ocean Casino Resort Becomes First Casino In State To Offer Cardless Gaming

Ocean Casino Resort announced a new cardless payment system. The feature allows Ocean Rewards members to deposit directly into casino games.

Ocean Casino Resort Atlantic City NJ
Photo by AP Photo/Wayne Parry
J.R. Duren Avatar
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Ocean Casino Resort has more than 1,800 slot machines and over 130 table games and, for the first time in state history, gamblers in New Jersey go cardless instead of using a rewards card.

The property announced a new cardless system this past week. The new feature allows Ocean Rewards members to check-in at a slot machine or table game via a QR code in the Ocean Casino Resort app rather than using a physical Ocean Rewards card.

The advancement took three vendors and months of planning to become a reality. Ocean Casino Resort Senior Vice President John Forelli said in an email to PlayUSA:

“Ocean’s new cardless gaming feature is the first of its kind in New Jersey and we are excited to be leading the way in the implementation of new technology.

Cardless serves as a stepping stone to additional gaming developments as we work with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and regulatory bodies on advancements such as cashless options in the future.”

Key takeaways

  • Ocean Casino Resort rolled out cardless transactions this past week.
  • The property is the first one in the state to offer a cardless option.
  • Three vendors worked together to make cardless a reality.
  • Customers must sign up for an Ocean Rewards account to use the cardless feature.

How cardless transactions became a reality at NJ’s Ocean Casino Resort

Forelli said Ocean has kept an eye on the national cardless trend among casinos. When the casino chose to upgrade its content management system, it felt it was the perfect time to add a cardless transaction feature.

Over the course of seven months, three vendors worked together to make cardless a reality at Ocean:

  • Konami: Updated the content management system, which typically helps run slots
  • Genesis: Oversaw cardless integration into table games
  • NRT/JoinGO: Worked on getting cardless into the Ocean Rewards app

Thanks to that collaboration, customers can open their Ocean Casino Resort app, tap on “Account,” then select “Cardless Gaming.” From there, they can scan QR codes on slot machines or provide a QR code to dealers or pit bosses at table games.

For those who are hesitant to adopt the cardless advancement, Forelli said physical rewards cards are still available for use. “Whether its ease-of-use for new customer sign-ups or expediency if a guest’s card is lost or inoperative, cardless allows for customers to play at Ocean with their phone and (if needed), pick up a physical card when it is convenient,” he said.

“For many customers who have their phones with them at all times, it may be their preferred method in lieu of a card.”

How to sign up for Ocean Rewards

New customers who want to use Ocean’s cardless option must sign up for an Ocean Rewards account in person. They can do this at the casino’s Ocean Rewards Desk, where they must present a valid ID and choose a PIN for their account.

Once their account is set up, they can download the Ocean mobile app, Forelli said, and “use cardless in about the amount of time it takes to download the app.”

“Log in with your Ocean Rewards account number and PIN and you are ready to play,” he said.

J.R. Duren Avatar
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J.R. Duren has covered the gambling beats for more than a dozen states for Catena Media since 2015. His past reporting experience includes two years at the Villages Daily Sun, and he is a first-place winner at the Florida Press Club Excellence in Journalism Contest.

View all posts by J.R. Duren

J.R. Duren has covered the gambling beats for more than a dozen states for Catena Media since 2015. His past reporting experience includes two years at the Villages Daily Sun, and he is a first-place winner at the Florida Press Club Excellence in Journalism Contest.