Ameristar fined for underage gambling

Friday, March 4, 2005 | 9:08 a.m.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- State regulators have fined the Ameristar Casino $10,000 for allowing an underage woman to gamble.

The 19-year-old woman, who was in the casino in November, said she couldn't read a sign in English that gamblers must be 21 or older.

It was the third time an Iowa casino was disciplined by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission because an underage Spanish-speaking person was gambling.

State regulations don't require age-limit signs to be bilingual. Jack Ketterer, the commission's administrator, said probably fewer than half of Iowa's casinos have the signs in English and Spanish.

Ameristar officials have since posted its signs in both languages.

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