A post on social media by a local influencer giant stating that gold recycling machines are coming soon to Las Vegas has gone viral.
Las Vegas Locally took to X with a video of the ATM-like machine, commenting it “will devastate the local pawn shop industry.”
As of Tuesday, the post has attracted more than 4 million views and countless comments. The machines manufactured by GoldSmart do exist and have been operating in the Asian gambling capital of Macau since May 2025.
Users insert their gold into the machine, which analyzes purity and weight against real-time international gold prices, and offers the seller a price that, if accepted, gets paid straight into their bank account.
According to reports, once the seller has accepted the transaction, the GoldSmart machines melt the gold down at temperatures “exceeding 1,000°C–1,200°C.”
While many social media users expressed disbelief at the gold-melting physics, others weren’t so certain the machines would ever be allowed in the US or Vegas.
it “won’t work” in Vegas
Vegas-based financial services firm Yincity Gold replied to Locally that US banks weren’t set up for such machines, stating while the firm had personally used a gold-recycling machine in Shanghai, it “won’t work” in Vegas.
Yincity said the China ATMs have people manning the machine at all hours, and that in Vegas, without round-the-clock security, “the machine will be robbed and broken on day one.”
