Cash-Strapped Bettors Can Play On

A losing streak clean you out at the blackjack table? Don’t walk away. At Atlantic City’s casinos, you will soon be able to whip out a credit or ATM card and buy more chips without leaving the table.

In a move harshly criticized by experts on compulsive gambling, New Jersey regulators have agreed to let casinos accept credit cards and debit cards for the purchase of chips and slot tokens.

“I don’t see it as a big impact at all. It’s a matter of convenience, not an opening of floodgates into a customer’s bank account,” said Timothy Wilmott, president of Harrah’s Casino Hotel.

Currently, the only way to buy chips is with cash. There is no shortage of cash outlets in casinos: ATM machines, credit card cash machines and casino credit offices. But gamblers still have to get up from the table or the slots, walk to the machine and actually get the money.