Las Vegas: Cosmopolitan hotel to offer Apple Pay, but not for gambling

Apple Pay is coming to Las Vegas hotels, and the Cosmopolitan is leading the way.

The hotel-casino will offer guests the option of using electronic wallets starting in June. Guests can use Apple Pay for a hotel or bar bill, VIP services and purchases at some stores.

Apple Pay was rolled out last fall. Retailers from the Disney Store to McDonald’s already accept such payments on contactless pay point terminals from those who use their iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and now Apple Watch.

JetBlue in February started accepting Apple Pay for fliers who buy snack boxes, beverages and seat upgrades. The airline says all flights will feature Apple Pay by June.

But it hasn’t taken off big-time, though Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook has dubbed 2015 “the year of Apple Pay.” And it’s not the only game in town.

The terminals at the Cosmopolitan also will accommodate Google Wallet and other forms of electronic payments.

Why now? What the hotel calls its “curious class” of travelers values the “integration of mobile into every aspect of their lives,” said Lisa Marchese, chief marketing officer.

A study last year of more than 5,000 U.S. travelers found that one in five leisure travelers with smartphones and one in three business travelers with smartphones had mobile wallets installed on their phones, Tnooz reports.

But you won’t be able to use your electronic wallet at Cosmopolitan’s gambling tables and slot machines. The casinos won’t be equipped with the technology -- yet.