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 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:
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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