What Is Considered Acceptable ID by Casinos?

What is considered acceptable ID for casinos? I'm from Canada and visit Vegas 2-3 times a year. When I want to check my tier score at a Caesars' property, they ask for picture ID. I hand over over my provincial picture ID card. They say that can't be used; only drivers licenses and passports (some other forms are ID are acceptable) are acceptable. This rule supposedly comes from the Nevada Gaming Commission. A drivers license is proof that one is allowed to drive. A passport allows someone to travel. An ID card proves someone's identity. Since when is an ID card not acceptable for ID purposes?

[Editor's Note: We turned this question over to Andrew Uyal, casino executive at the Cromwell, whose involvement in the identification process is extensive.]

Acceptable IDs in Las Vegas can be a tricky topic. Why? Mainly because regulations tend to differ. 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.

Now, I can't speak to every casino, nor can I speak to the competency and understanding of the rules of the employee you might show your ID to. But I will tell you the rules and laws as I have come to understand them.

When it comes to U.S. IDs, acceptable types are as follows:

Driver’s License
State-issued ID card
Military ID card
Passports
Passport cards

Driver’s authorization cards, tribal-issued IDs, and other non-government ID types will typically be turned away.

International gamblers have far less options. Acceptable IDs for non-U.S. persons:

Passport
Government-issued driver’s license

Some countries, like Canada, and many countries overseas use ID cards more prominently than drivers licenses. So this can get confusing.

I wish I could explain why the rules are set up this way. My theory is, here in the U.S., ID cards are easier to apply for and do not require as much documentation to obtain. So maybe the rule makers assume the same for international ID cards. It's my understanding, however, that that is not actually the case.

International IDs, like your provincial ID, have been known to be taken, at the discretion of the supervisor or manager on duty, even though they aren’t supposed to do that.

I can certainly understand being from another country and not wanting to walk the streets of Las Vegas with your passport in your back pocket. However, if you don’t have a driver’s license from your country, a passport is the only other ID that's acceptable.

It’s unfortunate, and maybe even a flawed rule. And it’s no fun for anyone involved. The casinos know you want to play. They also want you to play. It’s always awkward for a casino supervisor to tell foreigners they can’t play because they don’t have the right ID. These conversations rarely go smoothly.

But rules are rules, as they say.

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Comments

Kevin Lewis Oct-03-2018

IDiocy

There should be some policy at the federal level re what constitutes acceptable ID and the casinos should mirror that policy. I would think that foreign visitors would be used to having to whip out their passports every thirty seconds for one reason or another and thus, would devise safe ways to carry them. They might be very surprised, though, at tax laws re jackpots--in more civilized countries, gambling jackpots aren't taxed. However, this problem can be finessed simply by always gambling on the Strip--you'll never hit a taxable jackpot there anyway!
The current administration has a program planned whereby all foreigners will be microchipped and barcoded as soon as they get off the plane, so maybe soon, this won't be a problem.

O2bnVegas Oct-03-2018

Don't leave home without it

1) I wonder if he knows he can check his tier score by inserting his players's card in any machine, which would display the score.  He doesn't have to engage with anyone to do this.
2) Presumably he has shown an accepted ID at a Caesars property in the past, since he has an account (and a player's card).  Perhaps the policies have been tightened, or perhaps he didn't bring the ID he used to sign up.
3) It is good that he asked so he can bring what CET requires for ID, in the event he wants to use a comp (show, dinner, etc.) or hits a taxable jackpot at a Caesars property, which, yes, is very possible on the Strip.  What a bummer that would be, having to leave the money there until he takes another trip from Canada.

Kevin Rough Oct-03-2018

Consistency

Imagine if every bouncer had to learn what every possible ID in the world looked like.  Even the TSA seems to have problems with District of Columbia drivers license that drivers licenses from the district now say Washington, DC.  Every country uses a standardized form for passports is why they are accepted universally for foreigners.  A bartender in the US probably couldn't tell whether a Newfoundland ID card or a Victoria drivers license is fake.  That is why the passport is required.

Deke Castleman Oct-03-2018

This in via email

I lived in Vegas from 2005-2016, and only updated a few of my players cards with my current Seattle address, but still get occasional email offers. I was just in Vegas last week to see the Moody Blues at the Encore. I always previously updated my local info, but when I went to give them my ID at Red Card, we found out that instead of updating the last time I moved in Vegas, someone had instead opened up a second account in my name with my last address. Ok, no worries, they started the process of merging the two accounts. But when they checked out my enhanced Washington state driver’s license, they claimed they had to take it over to the cashier’s window (without me accompanying them) because it was “unverifiable”. Came back 5 minutes later saying the cashier couldn’t verify it either, so it was considered unusable to get me a new player’s card. By then I was mad, and happy not to gamble. Right before I moved from Vegas I had issues with the NV DMV because I DIDN’T have the new license

Deke Castleman Oct-03-2018

email cont'd

when I had to renew my car registration 6 months before moving, and the agent tried refusing my payment! But apparently though I had just gone to Canada two weeks ago and went thru the border crossing with only that driver’s license without question, plus picked up my concert ticket using same license at the box office without issue, the Encore doesn’t know what a legitimate enhanced out of state license is acceptable. I do know that Stations casinos accepted my ID earlier this year and gave me another card when I stayed at Santa Fe Station. No issues!

Question of the Day - 03 October 2018

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