Las Vegas with a 19 year old?!

marioking24

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PABnononaccred
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Hi,

I finally get the chance to go to Vegas. I have been waiting for long and now Ill head down there with a group of students.
Unfortunately one member happens to be not 21! He is 19.

If I remember right, you gotta be 21 to gamble in the US?

Now, is this rule followes striktly? Is he even going to be IDed, if he only plays some slots?

AND, if yall dont think that hell be able to spend his time/money in the Casinos, what else should he vistit or do? Any ideas?

Thank you
mario

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There are a ton of things to do in Vegas besides gambling - Every casino have night clubs, some w/ live bands. The tour of the dam is awesome. Las Vegas have the best live shows comedians, singers ,magicians. A 19 has a lot of things to do. I wouldn't chance even playing slots, if he gets caught could be a bummer for the rest of the group.
 
what happens if he get caught?
i mean it is not a crime to play some slots... is it?
theyll probably just throw him out, like they would do here in Europe, would they?
 
gambling age?

Hi,

I finally get the chance to go to Vegas. I have been waiting for long and now Ill head down there with a group of students.
Unfortunately one member happens to be not 21! He is 19.

If I remember right, you gotta be 21 to gamble in the US?

Now, is this rule followes striktly? Is he even going to be IDed, if he only plays some slots?

AND, if yall dont think that hell be able to spend his time/money in the Casinos, what else should he vistit or do? Any ideas?

Thank you
mario

MarioKing,
I live in minnesota and the legal age to gamble is 18, I belive that is the legal age to gamble throughout the US. also is the legal age to smoke. But you do need to be 21 to drink in minnesota.

AFlansburg
 
You have to be 21 to drink or gamble. You also have to be 21 to be out on the street past 10pm I believe.

He won't be allowed to stop in any Casino's and will be ID'd regardless of what you do, whether it's buying a coke or attempting to play at a table.

Totally pointless in my opinion, tell him to save his money. He won't be able to do anything with you guys. ID is incredibly strict in Vegas. I'm 24 and they made me go to the security desk every morning to prove my ID and get a wrist band. Without a band, you can't do anything in the hotel/casino.
 
Boy I wish it was 18 here at Foxwoods & The Mohegan Sun
I would be doing more bus trips for the young kids.
The only thing they can do is play Bingo at Foxwoods at 18.

Tell your friend to get a fake id :lolup:
If he takes a chance he may get in if the gaurds are not looking.My son 19 gets into both casinos here.
The only thing I would worry about is if he hits a jackpot on a slot.
~T~
 
well I dont know fake ID is definetly not an option :) cause that would be a crime then! And I want to bring him back to Germany..!

I think he will probably find things to do other than gambling! But we will try to just take him with us... and when we get thrown out we will just change the casino! Thats the plan, hope it will work out
 
Las Vegas Leisure Guide receives hundreds of emailed questions a month from people planning their visit to Las Vegas. Here are a few of the more common ones. Yes, some may appear to be overly detailed, but this is due to the myriad of actual detailed questions we have received over the years. If after reading this page you find you still have an inquiry, please click on the link at the bottom for a personal reply.

What is the legal age for gambling?

At the current time the legal age for gambling or gaming in the State of Nevada is 21 years of age. There have been rumors that local goverment officials are considering reducing it to 18. If that happens this is the first place you will read about it, but until then assume it is still 21. Casinos are expected to adhere to very strict rules to maintain their gaming licenses. No one under the age of 21 is allowed in the casino area nor allowed to linger in the casino area while a parent is gambling. If under 21, passing through gaming areas to access other facilities should be done only via the designated paths often indicated by a lack of carpeting and/or along outer walls away from gambling devices.

Any person under 21 who plays and wins a hand-payable jackpot will routinely be asked for ID for tax purposes and if discovered as underage the jackpot is automatically forfeited. Don't try to switch places with an older friend as it is also routine to check the overhead camera recordings on most jackpots to see who was actually playing the machine when it hit.
Most casinos do not allow photography of any type in the gaming machine or table areas. A few expressly permit it. Another strictly enforced rule is no use of cellular telephones in the sports book betting areas.

Can my spouse / child / friend who is under 21 gamble with me if I'm over 21?

Under what obscure circumstances can someone under the age of 21 legally gamble in Las Vegas?

Since this STILL seems to be our most commonly asked question we would like to reiterate: First, RE-READ PREVIOUS ANSWER! It says NO ONE under the age of 21 is legally permitted to gamble or to loiter in or about ANY gambling area under ANY circumstances. They WILL be asked for picture ID and likely escorted out of the area or off the property, or in some circumstances conceivably even arrested and fined, if caught.

It does NOT matter if an over 21 spouse, parent, concubine or nursemaid constantly accompanies them, holds their hand, pushes, drags or carries them.

It does NOT matter if your 21st birthday is coming up next week.

It does NOT matter if you were just married, divorced, or neutered.

It does NOT matter if you are over 21 in "dog years".

It does NOT matter if you have only days left to live and will likely never make it to your 21st birthday.

It does NOT matter if you're from another state, country or planet where gambling is permitted under the age of 21.

It does NOT matter if your father is ruler of his own country or your mother is a famous actress.

It does NOT even matter if you plan to gamble an amount equivalent to the Gross National Product of a small country.

The law is the law. We do hope this finally serves to answer this question completely.

(See also "legal drinking age" and how to determine your birthday below.) Under 21 Clubs in Las Vegas.

You will find a lot of answers here...
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Hiya: I see this every once in a while. In some places you can Gamble at 18. They come here to Vegas, the Pit Boss ask to see their ID or Passport, and tells them they can not play. For some, this was the only reason they came, and it ened up being a wasted vacation.

Here is the deal for a 19-20 year old. "Disclaimer" "i am NOT saying i approve of this, just providing imformation". Table Games are out, as they all have a Pit Boss, who part of his job is to stop underage people from playing.

Getting free drinks, "beer ect", is out, as the waitress will not serve him.

The Cashier Cage is out, as they will also check sometimes when a person actually tries to cash in their chips, or slot voucher. This being said, The eye in the Sky, "Camera" up in the ceiling are NOT all being watched one by one for every table and slot machine in the Casino......

So, this means that most slot machines are, "In". It also helps if a couple of the others who are 21 are hanging around, and they order a beer or something, and show their ID to the waitress. She will assune they ALL are 21, and does not really care about the one who is not, as he did not order a drink.

This also means someone else would have to cash in the voucher at the cashier cage for him.

What if he gets caught? At a table game, they will take ALL winnings, Keep any losses, and give back whatever he bought in with. He would be told to leave the Casino Gambling area. At a slot machine, they would come over, verify that he is underage, press the cashout button on the machine, and also forfiet any winnings he may have had.

No One goes to jail, or gets beat up in the back room by a Bouncer. It is simply him saying, "I did not know", and the Casino saying, "Well now you do".

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last year my brotherinlaw from the Philippines, Benny, "who has down syndrome", was here in Vegas for his 25th birthday. Me, and Gloria and Leo, his brother an sister, all went to the strip. We brought his passport with him. We let him play slots. He likes the spinning reels, and all the noise. He looks all of 14 years old. On Purpose, We left him semi alone, to see what the Casino people in the area would do? No one did anything. Not one employee ask him for his ID or nothing?......hehehe:cool:
 
Before you choose what casino to risk 'underage gambling' in, you may want to check to see if they have an electronic 'change/ticket cashing machine'

They have these here in BC.

All slot machines have gone coin-less.

You can only buy in with paper money or slot vouchers and your cashout is in the form of a slot voucher.

These 'change/ticket cashing machines' allow you to cash in your vouchers without the need to go to the cage, thus helping to avoid a point of contact where ID may be requested.
 
yeah... thats a good idea.
Well stay at the Stratosphere for the most part. (they are big, think they should have those machines)
Or do you know of any particular casinos in LV, where those machines are used?
 
Haven't ever been to Vegas but have been to Tunica, MS and Shreveport, LA and a bunch in between and I don't think you are even going to get into a casino proper without getting caught. At every riverboat casino I have ever been on, they check at the door before you can enter. At the land based casinos, I've been in the same thing. Security at the door checking ID's.

Good luck if you try but don't be surprised if it doesn't happen.
 
Almost ALL casino's have those machines. Be carefull outside of the Strat, and that is the worse part of the strip. Once you get up to the area where the Wynn is at, everything up the strip is all ok. The area by Sahara ave. and the Strat, has a lot of low income apartments, and houses, and some of them like to pester tourist for money.

Of note: YES, it is perfectly Legal to Drink & Walk outside on the streets on the strip, and downtown. No one there will ever ask to see anyones ID to verify they are 21. Also, there are only 2 parts of a Casino with, "NO" Cameras. The Bathroom, and the hotel Room........;)

Do not eat at the Sahara Buffet unless you like hospital food. Any other place is OK. Take lots of Pics. Most Casinos on the strip have areas just for taking pictures, inside the casino.
 
I assume his parents know that he will try to gamble, as he is doing it with us over here in Germany as well sometimes. (what else would they think, if he tells em that hes goint to Vegas with friends?! :) )

BUT, here in good old Europe, you ARE considered a fully self responsible adult by the day you are 18, soo I dont think he needs permission to do from his parents.
But, of course it is always good to ask for the opinion of elderly people!

I can assure, that he is not gonna gamble his future away.
Hes a smart kid! ;)
 
Well most of the casinos in the strip will have coinless technology because normally strip casinos are the first ones to embrace technology. The only thing I'd worry about is the size of the bet he'd play and what sort of slot he'd play. Mainly meaning would I possibly risk playing a penny, nickle, or quarter slot if I were under age. Probably as long as I was playing like up to possibly 3 credits per line on a penny slot assuming it's not a 100 line machine or more lines. As for nickles probably for most machines you'd be safe to play max bet except for those advertising a 24,000 jackpot win on them for the fact that it would trigger a jackpot, and for quarters I'd probably play single credit bets honestly just because the odds of actually hitting a jackpot on a single quarter are pretty slim. Now with this being said, if you risk for any larger of denomination your chances of winning a jackpot increase. Plus also have worked in a casino for years your also risking the eye in the sky getting more curious in you. Especially if you start playing $5 slots or better. Just because from experience they love to monitor those higher denomination machines for several reasons. One being the fact when they do pay, they are going to more than likely being paying more the average machine. Two being the fact there making sure there not being scammed. Three just the simple fact that there making sure there isn't any employee monkey business going on in the inside of the machine.
So these tips really aren't here to help you circumvent the system as much as maybe help you decide whether its worth it or not. I mean yes the eye the sky does do a sweep of most machines a few times a day. Especially those paying out and probably getting hit the most. Otherwise as long as you stay away from the higher paying machines I'd say your safe.
Also as for law, most casinos just because it'd be bad PR to prosecute someone for underage gambling. Won't bother sending you to the police, but also there has been a change in the law. Where not only does the casino suffer but the person could be prosecuted with a misdemeanor for playing underage. This happened with a kid at the Venetian.
Just more for you to think about.
 
I assume his parents know that he will try to gamble, as he is doing it with us over here in Germany as well sometimes. (what else would they think, if he tells em that hes goint to Vegas with friends?! :) )

BUT, here in good old Europe, you ARE considered a fully self responsible adult by the day you are 18, soo I dont think he needs permission to do from his parents.
But, of course it is always good to ask for the opinion of elderly people!

I can assure, that he is not gonna gamble his future away.
Hes a smart kid! ;)

Well here in the US we are still responsible for them until they are 23 and that they are still in school.
 
Honestly...

If the kid is 19... send him to the SkyZone Fun Center - wall-to-wall trampolines... send him to the roller coasters.... send him ANYWHERE BUT to a casino floor. Regardless of how much he wants to gamble, you would be a responsible friend to either a) not take him, and wait until he is 21, or b) let him play to his hearts' content in the arcades.

There is plenty to do in Vegas that has nothing to do with gambling. Risking jail time for the thrill of a win is not worth it - and borders on irresponsibility.

If you are responsible enough to be an adult and go to a different country to partake in gambling, then be responsible to everyone in your group - INCLUDING the 19-year-old. There are police and security EVERYWHERE in Vegas. I stayed at the Luxor 3 times and got carded each and every time, even though I am almost 30 - and this was only to buy alcohol. God Forbid what I would have had to go through if I won something big.

My point? If you do take him, DON'T let him gamble. If you really want to have everyone in your group gamble together, postpone the trip 2 years and go when EVERYONE is old enough.
 

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