City Council to hold hearing on supper club slot machines

Judy Odierna

Monday, March 3, 2003 | 10:05 a.m.

The Las Vegas City Council will hear arguments for the first time on Wednesday on whether slots and supper clubs are a good mix.

A public hearing will be heard on the change to the city's gaming code at 9 a.m. Wednesday at City Hall. A final vote would be on a future agenda.

The proposal would allow 10 slot machines at any supper club with more than 5,000 square feet of usable floor space and five machines for supper clubs with less than 5,000 square feet.

Supper clubs are restaurants that have small bars but derive most of their income from meals. Las Vegas is the the only area municipality that does not allow gaming in supper clubs, officials said.

The Nevada Tavern Association has opposed the bill. Tavern owners can have up to 15 machines and derive most of their income of liquor sales. They say the bill could hurt their profits.

Ron Drake, president of the Nevada Tavern Association, said the owners also think supper clubs, if given slots, should also have to abide by requirements that bars have to be at least 1,500 feet apart.

"We met with (city officials) and expressed our concerns," Drake said. "As we understand it the bill is still intact with no changes. It doesn't look like they were really interested in our concerns."

Many local municipalities follow the Clark County model, which restricts supper clubs to a maximum of five machines. County supper clubs that had 15 gaming machines before December 1992 were grandfathered in and allowed to keep the 15.

In 1996 the city of Las Vegas decided not to include slot machines in a new ordinance that eased restrictions for supper clubs. At the time the restrictions were so tight that many supper clubs opted for a tavern license, which was more expensive and included up to 15 gaming machines.

However, because taverns must be 1,500 feet from schools, churches and each other, many restaurants found themselves asking the council for variances.

"We had to go in with the proposal first so there could be a public hearing," said Jim Difiore, manager for the Department of Finance and Business Services.