Why do dealers in Vegas check ID even if I look older than 25?

score:20

Accepted answer

It's more likely the former. The casino's own policy can of course be more cautious than legally required; they could even have a policy requiring them to card everyone if they wanted to. The general principle is "better safe than sorry": If they card someone of legal age, there are essentially no consequences, but if they fail to card someone who is underage, the potential consequences are severely negative.

Upvote:5

but I've been told I could pass for late 20s or early 30s.

Many facilities that sell tobacco and alcohol in the United States often enforce policies that require any persons looking younger than 40 to be carded, even though the legal age for purchase is 18 and 21 respectively. I imagine the casinos in Vegas have a similar policy.

Upvote:10

There is a cascading "better-safe-than-sorry" effect.

The law was originally 18-year-olds were too immature to play (or drink or whatever)

But there are immature 20-year-olds too, so better-safe-than-sorry, the law was changed to 21.

The corporations told their managers to ID anyone who looked under 21.

But there are 20-year-olds who look 22, so better-safe-than-sorry, the corporate policy was changed to ID anyone who looked under 25, so to be sure to comply with the law.

So the managers told their employees to ID anyone who looked under 25.

But there are 24-year-olds who look 26, so better-safe-than-sorry, the managers change their local policies to ID anyone who looked under 30, so to be sure to comply with the corporate policy.

The more levels of authority, with each level struggling to be certain it does not violate the policy of the level above it, the higher the limits can spiral: I saw a man who might easily have been 70 turned away from a bar for lacking ID.

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