Alcohol and the Law in Las Vegas

Filed in archive CASINO NEWS on July 17, 2010

One of the most recent new stories to come out of Nevada's Sin City is that of Terence Watanabe, who lost over 100 million dollars on a losing streak in 2007. His allegations that two casinos in which he gambled kept giving him access to free alcohol and prescription drugs showcased a worrying tactic on the part of the casino owners. Nevada officials are still looking into the allegations, but the story has already provoked debate on the interaction between alcohol and the casinos in Las Vegas.

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Currently the law states that casinos are obliged to refuse entry to those that appear "visibly drunk", and that gamblers who get that way inside must be asked to leave. The loophole lies in that the casinos are left to define "visibly drunk" themselves. Indeed, Bill Thompson was quoted in the Las Vegas Review Journal as having said that when certain amounts of money have been reached, there should be a lawful ban on free alcohol provided by the casinos, a move which may just make things a little more honest.