Cannabis Casino Opens In Detroit, Is Las Vegas Next?

Detroit beat out Las Vegas for this casino concept. A dispensary in Detroit recently unveiled a cannabis casino.

The Reef, located on Eight Mile Road in Detroit, opened a casino where patrons can play games like blackjack, craps, roulette, slot machines and more right at the dispensary, the Detroit Metro Times reports.

Now, there is a slight twist to this concept -- You can't win any real money. The lack of "real money winnings" helped the dispensary's cannabis casino avoid any additional legal considerations, permits, gaming licenses, etc. Metro Times reports.

Instead, the amount a customer spends in the store will determine the amount of "reward points" they'll be able to "gamble with." Essentially, if someone spends $25 then they can pull on the roulette wheel or play on the Plinko machine, spokesman Tim Campbell told the Metro Times.

Along with that, this Detroit dispensary will also have promotions and scratch-off tickets where customers can win cash, "free pot for life," a grow kit for cannabis, a Caribbean trip and more.

Now, you may be asking yourself, "When will Las Vegas get a cannabis casino?"

And the answer: Maybe soon.

Although there are no official plans in the works, the Las Vegas Strip is seeing an increase of tentative cannabis-friendly properties. According to TheStreet.com, Nevada has a plan to create legal cannabis-consumption lounges. These lounges would be like bars with cannabis instead of alcohol, and patrons can enjoy smoking or eating cannabis products. These weed lounges will be unable to serve alcohol, however.

Along with that, Las Vegas is expected to get a "cannabis-friendly" hotel this spring.

According to Cannabis Business Times, the Artisan Hotel Boutique, located just off I-15 on West Sahara Avenue, will undergo a multimillion-dollar renovation. These renovations will turn the Artisan into a new hotel called "The Lexi."

The Lexi will be a 64-room hotel, and it will also be the first property in Las Vegas to embrace the idea of being a weed-friendly hotel.

So, is there an official plan for a cannabis casino? No. But, is Las Vegas moving toward a direction where this could be a reality in the near future? Yes. 

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