Question of the Day - 08 September 2008

In all our years in Las Vegas, we’ve never heard of a buffet refusing anyone admission based on age. To the best of our knowledge, no Las Vegas buffet has any age restrictions whatsoever. In fact, almost all of them offer discounts for children; most buffets don’t charge anything for kids two or three years old and under (and this is a great play for families who want to feed their toddlers as fast as possible; you can have a plate of food in front of a two-year-old in 30 seconds flat once you’re seated at a buffet).

We were intrigued to hear about the age restriction at the Ameristar Casino in Blackhawk, Colorado, thinking it perhaps had something to do with a champagne brunch or free booze, so we called.

It turns out that Ameristar management is so proactive in discouraging underagers from even entering the property that no one younger than 21 is allowed to dine at any of the restaurants there, including the grill, deli, and Starbucks.

• "We were turned away at the buffet in Atlantic City at Bally's with a 15-year old and 13 year old. My husband got stuck in the elevator and they gave us a comp to eat at the buffet, and then when we showed up with the kids, it was a no-go."
• "To clarify on kids in casinos relating to Caesars in Windsor, children are allowed in the hotel area and allowed to eat at the restaurants in the hotel section. The buffet happens to be on the other side, underneath the casino, and therefore not available to children. "Interestingly, I used to live near Joliet in Illinois -- the policy mentioned is correct and caused me to stop going there when we visit Chicago (we used to stay in there with the kids). Other casinos not allowing children in the buffet area include MGM Detroit and Motor City Detroit. Soaring Eagle and Four Winds do allow children in both hotel and to the buffets, as each of their buffets has an entrance outside the casino floor."
• "State gambling laws in Michigan also prohibit minors from going anywhere where the only access point is through the gaming floor. They aren't even allowed to pass through accompanied by parents. In fact, before stepping into any gambling areas, anyone who looks under 40 or so has to show ID. This rule does preclude minors from visiting most of the restaurants at the new Detroit MGM Grand, for example."
• "I wish Sunset Station in LV had the policy of no one under age. The children running around the casino floor (supposedly on the way to the cafes) are a real trial for us gamblers. I use a cane and it is very difficult walking near the cafes. Parents seem to be too busy watching the slots to watch their children."

• "Concerning today's QOD regarding underage buffet access: the same thing happened to me at the casino in Newport, RI (I forget the name of it -- as far as I know, there's only one there); in Rhode Island, it's state law!"
• "Not a question but a follow up. Harrah's Joliet has it right on their website that no one under 21 is even allowed to check into the hotel. After some of the things I have seen in Vegas late-night, I have to agree."
• "I just wanted to comment on the question about under-21-year-olds. Sometimes it depends on where the restaurant or buffet is located. In Illinois and Iowa, some casinos have the buffet right on the pavilion (like the Grand Victoria in Elgin) and any age can go in. But others (like Hollywood in Aurora, Par-a-Dice in Peoria, and 2 out of 3 Quad Cities boats) have the buffet inside the restricted area after they ID people. So, it can vary wherever you go. In Vegas, you do not get ID'd walking through a casino. In other states you can't even get in."
• "Kid Buffet follow-up: At the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Ontario, they wouldn't allow my 8-year-old to join us in their buffet because the only access to it was through the casino. Drat! Fortunately, there were/are a lot of alternatives in the food court in the adjacent mall-ish structure, or just a few feet away outside."
• "Regarding the issue of restaurants and kids, in Atlantic City, if the restaurant or buffet is only accessible from the casino floor, then children are not permitted. The only buffet I know of in AC that has this issue is at Bally's Wild Wild West."
• "St Croix Casino in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin has a similar policy for anyone under age. You have to physically walk on the casino floor to get to the eating areas, and the security will not let anyone underage enter the gaming area, hence, no food. After 15-plus years, they are making another entrance to the dining areas that make accessibility possible without violating the law."
• "Casino Windsor in Windsor, Canada is run by Harrah's Inc. It is actually called Caesars Windsor. You MUST be 19 (the legal age to gamble/drink in<