They are EXTREMELY strict. Your 20 year old is a child in Vegas. Both he and the 21 YO will be asked for ID everywhere they go. The 20 year old will be denied entry to bars and will get chased out of casinos. No ID verification casinos – Do they exist? Yes, they do exist and they are called no account casinos. At these online casinos all you need to do is sign up with your username, make a deposit (usually via Trustly) and start playing the casino games.If you win at the casino and decide to withdraw your winnings you won’t be required to send in any documents, because these types of casinos. It varies by both state and casino, as most states mandate 21 as the minimum age to play in a casino, but some Native American casinos allow players to gamble at 18. In addition, racetrack wagering, lottery, and sometimes slots can be played at 18. Make sure you check first.

1. Do You Need Id To Get In Casino
2. Do You Need An Id To Go Into A Casino
3. Do You Need Id To Get Into A Casino Bonus
4. Do You Need Id To Enter A Casino
5. Do You Need Id To Get Into A Casino No Deposit
6. Do You Need Id To Get Into Casino

• Factoid: Twenty-five years ago 2 states had legalized gambling and 48 did not. Now 48 do and only 2 do not (Hawaii and Utah.)
• Factoid: Nevada gambling revenue was $1 billion in 1975 ...$10 billion in 2004 and is projected to be $15 billion in 2009.

1. Some IDs may be acceptable for drinking or getting into a club, but not for gambling. In order to drink, bouncers and bartenders usually just need proof of age. When playing in the casino, however, the ID must be valid (not expired), as well as appearing on the approved list of acceptable IDs.
2. A current photo ID will be necessary to prove your age for gambling or drinking, and many casinos demand that any patron on the casino floor has a valid, current photo ID. If you don't have one, you may be asked to leave.

'Las Vegas was built for people who are really bad at math....' ...Penn Jillette (Penn & Teller, now at the Rio!)

'There are two times in a man's life when he should not speculate: when he can't afford it and when he can.' ...Samuel Clemens, also known as 'Mark Twain' (1835-1910)

In the last decade, entertainment, shopping and fine dining have replaced gambling as the top attraction for visitors to Las Vegas. Many hotels get more than half of their revenue from non-gambling sources.

Although tourists no longer list gambling as the primary reason for their visit, almost all are willing to risk an average of $500 each trying to hit that elusive jackpot.

Nationwide, casino gambling is a $50 billion business. And 20 percent of that amount comes from just one state ...Nevada. One third of all Nevada general tax revenue comes from state gambling taxes.

The state of Nevada and casinos like to call it “gaming” since ”gambling” has such an negative ring to it. We agree. “Gaming” is a better word for the games of chance legally offered in Las Vegas. Games are played for entertainment. And this is how you should treat the money you risk in Las Vegas in hopes of hitting “The Big One.” Play for fun and the “possibility” that you might win. NEVER take Las Vegas gambling seriously.

Gambling laws in Nevada

Las Vegas gambling was legalized in 1931. The Nevada Gaming Commission and Control Board develops and administers all gaming regulations. Their website can make interesting reading. Casinos with more than 15 slot machines pay an annual tax of $250 on each one. There is also an additional monthly tax of up to 6.75% on gross gaming revenue ...a percentage that is the lowest in the U.S.

Anyone working as a gaming employee must be registered with the state and have a valid gaming work permit. This includes all casino workers except bartenders and cocktail waitresses.

You must be 21 to enter a casino, gamble ...or purchase or consume alcoholic beverages. If you look young carry a state-issued ID with photograph such as a driver’s license. Children are permitted in the casino public walkways but are not allowed to be near slot machines or gaming tables. You are allowed to carry open alcoholic beverage containers on the street, but not in a vehicle.

Taxes on gambling winnings

There are some things you should know if you are lucky enough to win. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires all casinos in certain instances to withhold federal taxes if you win over a certain amount. The percentage withheld ranges between 25 and 30 percent depending on how you won. Here is how it works.

If you had gambling winnings, the casino is required by the IRS Information Reporting rules to withhold 28% as income tax if you do not provide a documented TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number, that is, your Social Security Number.) We have heard of cases where it is withheld no matter what. The withholding tax is 30% if a foreign gambler. The tax rate is 25 percent if the amount is over $5,000 (except for non-resident aliens.)

When your winnings exceed a specified threshold and/or tax is withheld, the casino will give you an IRS Form W-2G showing the amount you won and the amount of tax withheld. Report (and take credit for the tax you paid) on your IRS Form 1040 tax return at the end of the year. (Only use Form 1040 if you had gambling winnings; you cannot use any other form.)

Generally, gambling winnings are reportable to the IRS if the amount paid is (a) $600 or more and (b) at least 300 times the amount of the wager. This requirement primarily applies to lotteries, sweepstakes and other big winnings from small bets. It does not apply to winnings from bingo, keno, and slot machines.

Casinos report gambling winnings for these games to the IRS when a player wins $1,200 or more from a bingo game or slot machine or if the proceeds are $1,500 or more from a keno game. When you exceed these amounts, the casino may withhold taxes and will provide you with IRS Form W-2G. They keep the original and give you two copies of the form. (If state income tax withholding is required on gambling winnings in your state, additional taxes may be withheld.)

The rules are different for table games (such as blackjack, baccarat, craps, roulette or other spinning wheel games.) Since Nevada casinos do not know the amount you started with, they are not able to determine how much you won (...your taxable gain.) As a result, federal law provides that there is no withholding or even reporting of table game wins to the IRS. It therefore follows that table game winners probably do not report their gambling profits to the IRS.

You not only pay taxes on gambling profits, but you can also claim gambling losses as an itemized deduction as well. But you must keep some kind of documentation (such as a diary or tickets) to substantiate the amount and nature of the losses. In any event, you cannot claim gambling losses that exceed your winnings.

Managing your money

Greed is the downfall of most players. The odds that you will win if you play long enough is statistically wrong ...as is; having doubled your money, you next try to quadruple the winnings (and end up losing it all.) Both concepts have built a lot of nice hotel-casinos in Las Vegas.

My system for managing gambling money is simple. I budget $100 a day which, according to statistics, is about average for Las Vegas visitors. If I am on a five day vacation, I put $100 in each of five dated envelopes ...a total of $500. I ration the money throughout the day and stop when I lose my hundred and do other things. I might stop when I double my allotment. In any event at the end of the day, I either am ahead or behind. If I am ahead, I put whatever portion of the $100 I have left (hopefully it is more than $100) back in the same dated envelope and place it in the room safe that hotels provide. Tomorrow I play with the money in following day’s envelope. The most you can lose is $100 on any given day ...or $500 for your trip. I am happy if I break even ...and you should be too. Once in a while I go home with “their” money. In recent years I have done better. I will tell you how later.

The bad news: There are no casino games or bets where the house does not have a clear advantage. The odds either favor the house ...or they get a commission. And if you are not familiar with basic information about the games you play or bets you make, you are just about a guaranteed loser. In short, casino owners are in business to make a profit. They did not build all those gorgeous hotels by giving away money.

The good news: The reality is that if you are lucky you can win ...and the drinks are free. But statistically the chances are against winning. So the cardinal rule is, over the long haul, whether playing the slots, table games, betting on sports or risking money on anything; you will probably lose. But some bets are better than others.

It is beyond the scope of this website to provide in depth strategy on how to gamble and win in Las Vegas. Many books have been written on the subject and - trust me - none work over the long haul ...or are illegal.

We will, however, cover the most popular games and things you should know as a beginner to have fun and minimize your loss ...and maybe make a few bucks.

Let the games begin

Blackjack (21) is either dealt by hand with one or two decks. Multiple Deck 21 is dealt from a box called “the shoe.” Everyone in Blackjack plays against the dealer. Roulette consists of a spinning wheel marked with numbers 1 through 36 (18 red, 18 black) and American Roulette has a green 0 and 00 ..a total of 38 possibilities. You win if your number, combination of numbers or color comes up. To play Keno, you select a minimum of 4 but no more than 10 numbers on a ticket between 1 and 80. Twenty of the 80 numbered balls are drawn and you win if all your selected numbers are chosen. Craps is a complicated dice game which we do not recommend for first-timers. There are many other table games (and variations) as well. More and more people are playing poker these days and we will also have a little to say about that later.

By far, however, the most prevalent pastime in Las Vegas is playing the slot machines ...and video poker. We will cover the games of chance and sports betting in this chapter ...which you should play, where you should play and the odds of winning.

NEXT PAGE: 10.2 SLOT MACHINES ...AND VIDEO POKER... ⇨

A casino employee asking for your ID seems like a harmless request. Maybe they just think you look young for your age and want to confirm that you’re old enough to gamble.

If you’re an advantage player (AP), though, such requests aren’t so harmless. Assuming the casino wants identification, they likely feel that you may be cheating or are an AP.

As an advantage gambler, you don’t want casinos knowing your identity. After all, they can restrict you from their property and enter you into a database.

But do you want to know what’s great? You aren’t legally obligated to produce identification for the casino.

This fact is strange when considering that casinos can’t serve underage players and seemingly need access to IDs. But it’s true.

I’m going to discuss more on why gambling venues ask for identification along with the only time that you really need to produce it.

Reasons Why Casinos Want to See Your ID

Most reasons why casino employees want to see identification revolve around suspecting advantage play. Casinos don’t have to serve APs in most states, and they won’t whenever possible.

However, they may have other reasons for requesting ID as well. Below, you can see the main scenarios when you’ll be asked for identification.

The Casino Wants You to Join the VIP Program

The one time where ID requests are harmless is when a casino simply wants you to join their loyalty program.

This situation arises naturally when a pit boss or floor supervisors sees you betting big and/or playing for hours. In this case, they’ll want to retain your loyalty by bringing you into the VIP program.

Of course, loyalty rewards don’t quite make up for the profits you make as an AP. Therefore, you should politely decline the invitation if you’re a successful gambler.

They’re Trying to See If You’re a Known Advantage Player

Pit bosses are trained to spot signs of advantage gambling. Assuming they see one or more of these signs, they may introduce themselves and ask for your ID.

If you’re an AP, you definitely don’t want to give them your identification. As soon as they figure out who you are, they can take one or more of the following actions:

• Further investigate you to find out if you’re an advantage gambler.
• Ban you from their casino for good.
• Enter you into a nationwide or even international database of known APs.

None of these scenarios are good if you’re a profitable player. That said, you should simply tell them that you don’t have an ID on you.

The Casino Wants to Ban You

After watching you play, a pit boss may be extremely certain that you’re a professional gambler. They might follow their intuition and skip straight to banning you from the casino.

Banning refers to when the casino restricts you from their establishments and threatens legal action if you return.

Aside from the rare (and highly illegal) chance that you’ll be beaten up by security, this is the worst thing that can happen an advantage player. You’ll not only be banned from the current casino but also any properties that they own around the world.

They Want to Ensure You’re Not a Known Cheater

I sincerely hope that you’re not a casino cheater. After all, you risk serious legal consequences if caught.

Of course, casinos may explore all possibilities if they see you winning lots of money. Assuming they get a hold of your ID, employees can search databases to check if you are a convicted cheater.

Casinos Only Need to See Your ID When You Win a Jackpot

The one time where you do want to give a casino your identification is if you win a large jackpot. Gambling establishments are required to obtain your ID and fill out paperwork for tax purposes if you win $1,200 or more.

You can still refuse to show identification. However, the casino can’t pay you the jackpot until seeing your ID.

Assuming you truly forget a photo ID, then the casino will photograph you and hold your money at the cashier’s cage. You can return at any time with identification to claim your payout.

Do You Need Id To Get In Casino

But what if you’re an AP who doesn’t want to give up an ID? In this case, you should consider the following thoughts before deciding if claiming the jackpot is worth it:

• Does the casino have reason to suspect that you’re an advantage gambler?
• Should you forgo a smaller jackpot (e.g. just over $1.2k) to conceal your identity?
• Is the jackpot so big (e.g. $100k or more) that it’s worth blowing your cover?
• Should you quit progressive blackjack tables in the future?

Why Does Everybody Think Casinos Have a Right to See IDs?

If you’re a normal casino patron, then you’ll have no problem giving a casino employee your identification. Again, though, you’re making a mistake by showing ID as an AP.

Nevertheless, you may feel like you’re obligated to reveal identification to gambling establishments. You shouldn’t feel stupid in this case, because you’re merely one of many gamblers who believe this is a legal obligation.

The thought that you must show casino identification when asked stems from minimum gambling ages. Gaming venues must enforce the minimum gambling age (e.g. 21 and up) in their specific state or country.

That said, you might believe that giving up your identification is necessary to help casinos follow local laws. The reality, though, is that you don’t have to help them in this matter at all. They can just kick you out if they’re at all concerned that you’re an underage player.

Gaming Laws Don’t Give Casinos Legal Rights to Your Identification

Many states have “stop and identify” laws that require you to produce ID when an officer of the law requests it. If you refuse to show identification, then the officer(s) can arrest you.

Casino employees are not law enforcement and can’t legally make you produce identification. They’re lying if they tell you otherwise.

Gambling establishments can detain you and call police if they have a valid reason to do so. In this case, the arresting officer(s) will identify you either at the casino or at the station.

A casino could also call police if without detaining you. In this scenario, the officer can stop you anywhere on or off the property and ask for identification.

Long story short, law enforcement has a right to see your ID. Casino employees, on the other hand, don’t possess this authority.

Do You Need An Id To Go Into A Casino

Casinos Will Try Coercing You

Do You Need Id To Get Into A Casino Bonus

Pit bosses and other employees don’t read off your legal rights when requesting identification. Instead, they’ll simply say something like, “Can I see your ID?”

Many rookie advantage gamblers quickly crumble and produce identification. You, however, don’t want to fall into this trap.

Your first line of defense should be to tell them that you’re not currently carrying an ID. They’ll likely press you again on the matter.

At this point, you can tell them that you forgot to grab your identification on the way out the door. The employee will tell you that they need to see ID before allowing you to keep playing.

You can continue refusing their requests. Eventually, they’ll probably kick you out of the casino.

The bad news is that you have to halt your advantage play at that point. The good news, though, is that you can always return to the same casino with a different look (e.g. long beard) and play again. After all, they won’t have your information on file and in a database.

Conclusion

The thought that you must show casinos your ID when requested is a myth. Gambling venues can’t legally force you to reveal identification unless backed by an officer of the law.

Do You Need Id To Enter A Casino

Of course, this small matter doesn’t stop casinos from asking for your ID. They often want identification if they suspect that you’re a cheater or AP.

Assuming you’re a professional player, the last thing you want to do is comply with their ID request. Doing so will put you into a database that allows other casinos to identify you as an AP.

You can continue refusing the casino’s request for identification all day. The worst they can do is throw you out and warn you not to come back.

Do You Need Id To Get Into A Casino No Deposit

But if they don’t have an ID on file, they’ll have to visually remember you. If you change up your appearance, then you might be able to keep playing at the same casino later on.

Do You Need Id To Get Into Casino

The only situations where you should show an ID is if you’re either joining the VIP program or claiming a jackpot. In all other scenarios, you should deny their request and let them kick you out (temporarily).