Harrah's/Horseshoe Casinos in Iowa Fined for Underage Gambling

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission has fined the Harrah's and Horseshoe Casinos in Council Bluffs a combined $50,000 for allowing underage gamblers to play at their venues.

Under state law, no gambler under the age of 21 is allowed to gamble. Both venues allowed underage gambling on the floors, and the casinos self-reported the violations to the regulator. A young lady identified as V.M. (aged 20) found her way onto the Harrah's casino floor and played slot machines for about a half-hour before they were asked to leave for trying to mooch money. The casino was fined $20,000 for that violation.

The other incident took place at the Horseshoe Casino in May when K.C. presented a fake ID and spent more than four hours on the gaming floor. He played multiple slots and ended up consuming 13 alcoholic drinks. He was asked to leave for harassing a female patron when he told staff that he was a minor. The fine for this violation was $30,000, given the long time that he was on the floor gambling and consuming alcohol.

Both infractions are the first for either site for the year, and the casinos have largely been effective at keeping minors from entering the gaming floors.