Google Glass hasn’t hit the market yet, but already casinos in the United States are serving notice that it won’t be allowed at the games.
“Gaming regulations prohibit the use of computers or recording devices by persons who are gambling,” a spokesman for Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment said. “Therefore, individuals wearing Google Glass would not be allowed to gamble. If they attempted to do so, [they] would be subject to arrest under various state gaming regulations.”
The company is not alone in preemptively banning the wearable computers. Strip club owners have said patrons will be required to check Google Glass at the door, along with other electronics, and movie theaters are concerned the device will be used to record and sell bootlegged films.
Glass is still in development and has yet to be addressed from a regulatory or legislative standpoint. The problem is that it doesn’t make it obvious when the wearer is recording video. There’s no red LED indicator or anything similar, though the tiny screen is always on while filming.
“New technology always raises new issues,” as a Google spokeswoman told The New York Times.
Caesars said initially that Glass will be allowed on its casinos floors, and people will only be asked to leave if they’re suspected of using it to secretly film, basically treating it the same as a smart phone or other recording device.
MGM Resorts International has taken a similar approach. “It has long been our policy that no unauthorized photography or videography is allowed in our casinos,” a spokesperson said. “If a security officer suspects that a guest is filming, they will ask the guest to turn their devices off.”
