Over the course of the past decade, Las Vegas has worked hard to establish itself as a family-friendly destination. Entire families are now able to enjoy a vacation on the Las Vegas Strip, but some venues seem to be taking that notion too far. Recently, Caesars Casino has been fined $100 000 for allowing a number of young individuals to place wagers and drink alcohol on the premises.
The fine has been imposed for a ‘pattern’ of underage gambling. As such, it is an isolated incident. Several cases of underage gambling have been discovered, a crime that is taken very seriously in the City of Sin. Individuals under the age of 21 are not allowed to drink or gamble in local casinos, and there are very strict rules stating so.
Nevada Gaming Commissioner Randolph Townsend is very disappointed with the news. Since 2010, multiple accounts of underage gambling have been reporting, shedding a negative light on Las Vegas as a whole. With the city having steep competition in Macau and Atlantic City, the government must do everything in its power to encourage tourism and cases like this are not helping the situation.
Townsend does not believe that the punishment for Caesars is adequate and he has threatened to impose a more significant fine is this ever happens again. The goal of the fine is not only to punish Caesars but also to deter other casinos from being as lenient on cases of underage gambling.
“I want a seven-figure settlement or else we will litigate it," Townsend says. "As we enter the Internet gaming world, this becomes a significant issue."
Other locations are now under investigation for allowing underage gambling. Harrah’s, Rio and the Flamingo have also been discovered to allow underage gambling, and they may face similar fines if the claim are proven to be true.