Some still “taking advantage of the system”
Clark County, Nevada commissioners are once again considering a crackdown on slot parlors in the Las Vegas Valley.
According to the Las Vegas Sun, Commissioner Steve Sisolak will introduce an ordinance that alters the county’s tavern gaming law to ensure that bars with slot machines also offer food and beverages to their customers.
The new ordinance will be introduced at the commission’s October 7 meeting and would then be put out for comment by businesses for 45 days. The commission could vote on any changes as early as December.
It’s not a new issue for commissioners, who have attempted for years to curb the proliferation of slot parlors that operate under the guise of taverns. Critics including casinos and the Nevada Resort Association have long argued that businesses like slot taverns in the Dotty’s chain operate like gaming halls while being licensed as bars.
By law, bars can include up to 15 slot machines, but require that gaming revenues be “incidental” to the business of selling food and drink. In recent years, new controls have been put in place, mandating that the taverns have dedicated kitchens and a minimum number of seats.
“I feel very strongly there are a group of licensees that have tavern licenses that aren’t taverns, they’re slot parlors,” Sisolak said. “They’re taking advantage of the system.”
