Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., has started offering its robotaxi service to the public in Las Vegas after receiving final approval from Nevada transportation regulators. The service will be available on a rolling basis, with interested individuals needing to request an invitation and wait for an access code. Waymo plans to begin with "dozens" of its new Ojai minivan robotaxis in a specific area of Las Vegas, including the Strip south of Highway 589 and extending into Boulder Junction. The company has previously used this approach in 14 other cities, and it typically opens the service to the general public within a month or two of its launch. This move comes as Waymo expands its autonomous vehicle operations across the United States and into Europe. Competitors such as Tesla, Zoox, and others are also working to bring similar services to market. Earlier this month, Waymo began offering robotaxi rides to invited members in Denver, San Diego, and Tampa. Las Vegas will be the company's 15th market, joining cities like Austin, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, Phoenix, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Previously, Waymo had paused its service in San Antonio after launching it. Waymo's expansion into Las Vegas was made possible after the Nevada Transportation Authority approved commercial robotaxi services in Clark County, which includes Las Vegas. Tesla and Uber also received similar approvals from the agency. Waymo is authorized to operate up to 1,000 autonomous vehicles in the county over the next year, while Tesla is allowed to deploy up to 5,000, and Uber up to 1,000 through partnerships with Motional and Zoox. Combined, these permits could allow up to 8,000 robotaxis to operate in the area within 12 months, though it's unlikely any of the companies will reach those numbers. Currently, Waymo operates more than 4,000 robotaxis across more than a dozen cities. Tesla's Cybercab chief engineer, Eric Early, recently told state regulators that he expected the company to reach around 2,500 vehicles in the next year, possibly a bit more. Even if these targets are not fully met, the number of robotaxis in Las Vegas could still become very high within a short timeframe. As the technology continues to develop and competition grows, the city may soon see a significant increase in autonomous ride services.