Circa Resort becomes first Vegas casino to dabble in utility NFT artwork
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Circa Resort & Casino will be the first such venue in Las Vegas to feature a collection of utility non-fungible token (NFT) artwork.
Vegas Vickie, a famous neon sign of a 20-ft cowgirl, originally unveiled in 1980, has been made into a portrait by Jason “Borbay” Borbet.
This portrait serves as the foundation of the NFT, which can be accessed through a QR code next to the new painting, situated in Circa’s rooftop Legacy Club.
While NFTs are a form of crypto asset, they differ from cryptocurrency – such as Bitcoin and Ethereum – due to their non-interchangeable nature. Once purchased, they are completely unique to their owner.
On top of this, utility NFTs differ due to the added layer of exclusive benefits available to their owners. For example, a video game NFT may offer its owner secret weapons, or bonus characters. A more premium NFT may offer exclusive access to VIP events, or company dividends.
Derek Stevens, CEO, Circa Resort & Casino, commented: “At Circa, we strive to bring important elements from the past and merge them with what's new, so to take one of Vegas' most historic images and turn her into an NFT felt like a lightbulb moment.
“I've been passionate about supporting the cryptocurrency community from the beginning. My properties were the first casinos in Vegas to begin accepting Bitcoin eight years ago. When Borbay approached us regarding the Vegas Vickie NFT, there was no question I wanted to create this very special collection for the NFT community.”
Borbay, an artist based in Idaho, has been featured by the likes of BBC, Forbes, Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He is said to have approached Stephens, Circa’s CEO, due to his previous support of the crypto community.
Borbay said: “It was love at first sight when I visited Vegas Vickie in Circa's lobby. She is a timeless and striking work, and the amount of effort and detail the Circa team put into her refurbishment is astonishing.”
