This answer is courtesy of a friend of LVA's, Barry Lindemann. Check out his website at wheelchairvegas.com; there are plans for him to work more closely with us. Barry is a full-time wheelchair user and regularly enjoys vacationing in Las Vegas.
I've been going to Las Vegas at least twice a year since 1996 and now have a vacation home in the city. And as a power-wheelchair-using quadriplegic without much hand/finger function, I feel I can share some hard-earned knowledge of gambling on and beyond the Las Vegas Strip with a disability that could help your relative, who's just coming of age and ready to try his luck.
Depending on the severity of his disability and his unique set of needs, your relative should ask himself a few questions to get started: 1) Does he feel safe to be out on his own (and not only with handling his disability, but in regards to his personal safety)? If he can honestly answer "yes" to both questions, there should be no reason why he can't enjoy himself in any casino in the country without much trouble and without an attendant/assistant at his side. One of the great things about casinos (or at least the ones of any size in Nevada) is that they all have security and medical teams on the property at all times, both of which I've found are extremely helpful if required by someone with a physical disability. I do suggest that someone with a "hidden" disability (epilepsy, heart trouble, etc.) purchase one of those medi-alert bracelets (and wear it!), so that if an emergency arises and the individual can't verbalize his/her needs to the staff of the casino, the first responders know where to start in regards to treatment.
So, as a disabled person in the casino alone, my outing might go something like this.
If I'm going to play video poker or some other machine, I'll first find what machine I want to play (one with a good paytable of course; God bless Jean Scott!), then flag down a security officer or slot host to move the chair that was originally in front of the machine out of the way for me (I find the machines on the end of slot banks easist to "park" beside in my wheelchair), place my casino club/points card in the machine, and then help me feed the machine with my money I have planned to use for that gambling session. In some cases the casino staff might feel a little uncomfortable handling your money, but for the most part they know they're under cameras at all times and the staff will help without hesitation and/or the need for a tip. Then all a disabled gambler needs is a few single dollar bills at the ready to tip the cocktail servers.
When it's time to leave, you just reverse these steps, gather all your belongings, and be sure and thank the staff that helped you get set up if you can find them. Then, if you have a winning ticket to redeem, once again look for security and have them escort you to a redemption machine, put your ticket into the machine, and put your money away for you -- and if you've won big, have the security guard even walk you out to your car.
Now if I'm going to play a table game or craps in a casino, I usually start out by asking to speak to the pit boss in the gaming area I’m hoping to play in. I explain that due to my limited hand function, I can’t easily pick up or move gaming chips and ask if it would be okay if I verbalize or "call out" my bets to the dealer at my table and have them place my bets for me. I’ve almost never had a pit boss object to having a dealer do that for me, and the gambling fun can begin.
At a card table (blackjack, 3 Card Poker, etc.), I’ve found it works best to sit at one of the end squares (first base or the anchor position), as it’s more convenient for the dealer to reach your chips and place your bets. New card players be aware though that sitting in the anchor or end position at a blackjack table might bring with it a little extra "advice" from the other players at your table, so you might want to wait until you’ve become a more seasoned player before playing in that spot.
At the crap table I find it best to situate myself on the corner right beside the table staff who clear and pay off the players bets, so I’m not in the way of other rollers/players. What's cool is that while I can’t physically roll the dice myself, I can "designate" another person to be my dice thrower when the dice get passed to me, which I have found is a fun way to introduce friends and family to this exciting roller coaster of a game. Then whenever I'm ready to pack it in and end my session (assuming I have any chips left), I’ll have the table staff call security to escort me to the cash cage if I can’t carry my chips alone to turn them back into cash.
Now if the person with a disability does feel that an attendant/assistant at his side might be necessary in order to enjoy himself at a casino, it's really no big deal and it hopefully won’t stop him from heading out to gamble. While I've yet to find a casino that has a staff of personal-care attendants ready and on-call to assist disabled gamblers who might stroll in, a quick Google search of "Las Vegas Home Care Providers" will bring you up a large list of companies that can provide you with a "companion" who could escort you on your gaming excursions if you first explain to their customer service coordinators what your particular needs are and what you’d like to do while out in casinoland.
In closing, I've found gambling and going to the Las Vegas casinos to be one of the most accessible forms of entertainment out there. Not only is the activity one that I can continue to do right along side my "able-bodied" friends, but casinos in general -- with all their cameras and security -- are some of the safest places on Earth to hang out in while enjoying yourself.
Just remember to learn to play the games the correct way and never play with money you can’t afford to lose.
For further useful information about accommodation, entertainment, gambling, and transportation in Sin City for visitors with disabilities, check out our Special Needs section in the "LVA Visitor Guide" and Useful Tips for Handicapped Visitors in the transportation section ("Shuttles and Car Rentals" contains a lot more info than its name suggests!).
