The free drinks while gambling at a casino is a long tradition. These are staples in places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Unfortunately, as casinos have expanded to other areas of the country, this tradition has not followed.
There are many reasons for this lack of Las Vegas at every table. Depending on the area of the country, some view this amenity as immoral. Other casinos are hit hard by the economic crisis and cannot afford to give away free alcohol. As new casinos pop up, local legislators, many of whom do not support the arrival of a casino, set the guidelines. Consequently, they do not approve of this practice as they would like to maintain balance.
Many avid gamblers and party-goers are disappointed by these actions. They feel as if the combination of gambling and drinking run hand-in-hand. Oho recently passed a law that prohibits complimentary drinks in all new casinos. It also prohibits the 24 hour sale of alcohol in Ohio. Other Midwestern states that follow this same practice include:
- Missouri
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
The nine states (not including Native American establishments and racetrack casinos) that do permit free alcohol while playing include:
- Colorado
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Pennsylvania
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- South Dakota
Kansas takes the idea of no free drinks in casinos even further by outlawing free drinks at any establishment across the state. There is also a statewide ban on any type of happy hour specials as well as games that promote drinking, such as beer pong.
click here to see most Popular PagesThe combination of Mothers against Drunk Driving (MADD) and bars, restaurants and taverns have lobbied against free alcohol at casinos in Ohio. Competing establishments state the economic impact as a major factor. They saw free drinks as impeding on the willingness of casino-goers to go out and eat dinner, or visit a local tavern for drinks.
This mentality has made its way back to major casino areas like Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Both areas showed a significant drop in the amount of drinks comped in 2009. They have come to realize that they sell much more alcohol when they’re not giving it away.
Although the elimination of free booze impedes on a long-lived tradition, most of the reasons point back to the economy. In this current climate, it’s difficult for businesses to give away anything for free. Perhaps once the economy returns to normalcy, the free drinks will return with it!
