Venetian agrees to $10,000 fine over underage gambling

Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 | 11:01 a.m.

The Nevada Gaming Commission has been asked to discipline the owner of the Venetian resort over a 2004 incident in which a minor was allowed to gamble and was served alcoholic beverages in the casino.

Commissioners will meet Thursday to consider a complaint filed by the Attorney General's Office on behalf of the state Gaming Control Board and a signed stipulation from Venetian Casino Resort LLC agreeing to pay a $10,000 fine as a result of the incident.

In a stipulation signed by Venetian President Rob Goldstein, the resort admitted each of the board's allegations.

"The Venetian has a stringent policy related to underage gaming and the policy has been reiterated to the responsible operating departments' team members," Goldstein said after signing the stipulation.

Venetian bosses declined additional comment.

The complaint said in an April 3 visit, a 19-year-old came into contact with six Venetian employees, none of whom checked the minor's ID, while playing in the Strip resort's casino.

"During the time the minor was engaged in play, he came into contact with six Venetian employees, none of whom asked the minor for his identification and who ultimately failed to prohibit the minor from gambling," said the complaint. "Specifically, three different dealers dealt cards to the minor, while a cocktail waitress served him alcohol and a floorperson and security guard attended to a chip fill at the table."

The complaint said the minor was eventually caught when he attempted to cash in chips that he had won and the cashier requested his identification and realized he was under the legal gambling age.

"The minor provided a California drivers license showing his birth date as May 16, 1984, and stating that he turned 'age 21 in 2005,"' the complaint said.

When resort officials caught the minor through its own internal controls, it self-reported the matter to gaming regulators.

The complaint lists two counts, one each for the underage gambling and the consumption of alcoholic beverages charges.

In another complaint to be aired by the Gaming Commission Thursday, the Gaming Control Board accused a Las Vegas restaurateur of attempting to evade license fees and taxes for the operation of five slot machines.

According to the one-count complaint, Luis Mota, president of the Mayan Bar & Grill, 2797 S. Maryland Parkway, last January submitted documents saying he planned to operate five slot machines under an existing restricted license. According to the complaint, Mota originally submitted a diagram for 15 slots, but said 10 of them would be turned off and removed.

When Control Board agents inspected the machines at the Mayan in February, they discovered 10 machines in operation.

Mota signed a stipulation agreeing to pay a $5,000 fine as a result of the incident. He was not available for comment.