Bob only ever had to travel four miles to go to the casino. When the coronavirus pandemic shut it down, his gambling got even closer to home.

Far from home is what home may soon look like.

It’s been weeks since the pandemic quieted the world’s playground, snuffing out the symphony of boozy conversation, blaring car horns and slot-machine chimes that once filled the Las Vegas Strip.

The year is 2022, and you’ve just pulled up a seat at one of thousands of glittering slot machines on the Las Vegas Strip. As the multi-colored patchwork of jackpots dances on-screen, something new pops up: your name, greeting you like an old friend.

Amid rising resort fees and parking fees on the Strip, visitors have found another vexation: drink fees. A number of dayclubs and nightclubs across the Strip have said they enforce service fees on drink orders.

The National Center for Responsible Gaming has announced $400,000 in new funds to study the public health impacts of legal sports wagering, which is expected to grow rapidly in light of a court ruling last year.

It’s not hard to find somewhere to gamble in Las Vegas, whether it’s in a casino, the airport, or even a grocery store. That accessibility has proven to be an issue for some.

Some of the brightest minds in gaming, from academics and stakeholders, gathered Thursday at UNLV to talk about ways to raise public awareness on responsible gaming.