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Nevada is close to passing legislation that would give casinos the go-ahead to test wireless gambling on PDAs and other handheld devices. When the law passes, gamblers would no longer be restricted to the casino floor to place wagers. With a WiFi enabled PDA users could play slots, bet the sports book or take their chances with several other games.

I'm as much of a gambling degenerate as anyone else, but taking the show out of Vegas kills the appeal of gambling if you ask me. Gambling online is easy enough now, though not even close to legal in the United States. But just as online, the PDA takes away the scantily clad middle-aged waitresses, scores of crazy people, free drinks, flashing lights, loud bells, excessive smoke inhalation, and all the other fun and intrigue Vegas has to offer. I'm not sure that gaming on a PDA is going to be very popular outside of the hard core gamblers who need to keep the high going while slamming down another plate-full of free food at the buffet.

In any event, it's fun to see the market trying to grow and as eyebrow-raising as this may be, if there's money to be made (or lost, depending on your perspective), Vegas will be investing millions in the technology. I can see it now, sitting by the pool drinking something tropical, checking email and doubling down on 11. Okay, maybe it's not such a bad idea after all; I just wonder if PalmSource and Microsoft have a clock disabling feature in their software API.