Gamblers Could Use Bitcoin at Slot Machines With New Patent (1)

International Game Technology Plc, the world’s largest maker of slot machines, may be looking at offering cryptocurrency as a payment option on casino games like Megabucks and Wheel of Fortune.

On Tuesday, the company received a patent for a way to transfer cryptocurrency between a player’s gaming-establishment account and an external cryptocurrency account. That means players could move Bitcoin into their virtual wallets on a slot machine using their phones.

“IGT secured this patent to bolster its industry-leading patent portfolio in anticipation of any possible future direction in regulated gaming involving cryptocurrency,” said company spokesman Phil O’Shaughnessy.

Such a…