[AKboredom]

I just recently moved to Las Vegas and I noticed that the couple of time I've bought alcohol the stores seem to be pretty lenient on carding and everything. For example, last night I went to Food 4 Less and bought a couple cases of beer and when I went to pay the cashier asked who was paying (between me and my friend) and only carded me. This just seems odd to me because where I come from liquor has to be sold in a separat store from a grocery store (no booze isle in a grocery store). I also didn't get carded at the couple of places on the strip I went to. Is Las Vegas in general pretty lenient on that type of thing?

[jfkIII]

Alcohol regulation occurs at the state level...and varies with each state you travel to. The one thing that seems common to all states is that you must be 21 to legally drink.

[whyhateme]

I thought the grocery store clerks were required to card anyone that looked under 35.

[jfkIII]

that sounds like store policy, as opposed to law.

[dynimagelv]

I BELIEVE that in Clark County at least, they are supposed to card EVERY person the buys booze...cant swear to this since I dont' buy booze...

[david eckersall]

Thats one of the things I like about America, booze isn'tavailable easily. In England all supermarkets sell alcoholplus small grocery shops which are everywhere. the legalage to drink is 18 so you get older kids buying it foryoungsters. ts a big problem here. Plus of course thesupermarkets are in competition with each other for thelowest price At special times like now (world cup football)they sell it at a loss!! Its a big problem here.

[bledsoe3]

Originally Posted by dynimagelv

I BELIEVE that in Clark County at least, they are supposed to card EVERY person the buys booze...cant swear to this since I dont' buy booze...

You get yours free?

[Buzz123]

Clerks are supposed to card anyone that looks like they could be underage. If you are obviously over 21 they don't have to bother. Not long ago it was a big news item locally where either the state or Metro, I'm not sure which, set up several stings. They sent underage people into stores to buy booze. If they were able to buy it the clerk was busted. Sometimes they use young looking rookie cops to make sure ID's are being asked for. I believe that this is an ongoing random thing that Metro does. It is the legal responsibility, so of course, the right, of the clerks to ask for ID. They are the ones that get arrested if they sell to minors, not the store owner. So if they are smart they'll ask. But, it is intimidating and dangerous for the clerks too, as people get mad about it. Once a 14 year old pulled a gun on my ex-wife and robbed her when she asked for his ID. It is common for gangs to send in a 14 year old to pull a robbery because if he's caught he only gets his hands slapped.

It is also just as illegal for an adult to buy booze for a minor, but that's how most minors are getting their alcohol, and it's probably something that's hard to prove.

Nevada has always been as diligent as possible in enforcing laws concerning alcohol and gambling since it is highly important to the tourism industry that everything remains aboveboard. Nobody wants to lose a license worth millions of dollars over a roll of nickels or a six pack. That is the reason teens are not welcome in casinos.

As far as liquor sections in grocery stores being sectioned off, that is more to prevent shoplifting than anything else.

[Buzz123]

Originally Posted by AKboredom

I just recently moved to Las Vegas and I noticed that the couple of time I've bought alcohol the stores seem to be pretty lenient on carding and everything. For example, last night I went to Food 4 Less and bought a couple cases of beer and when I went to pay the cashier asked who was paying (between me and my friend) and only carded me. This just seems odd to me because where I come from liquor has to be sold in a separate store from a grocery store (no booze isle in a grocery store). I also didn't get carded at the couple of places on the strip I went to. Is Las Vegas in general pretty lenient on that type of thing?

Las Vegas is not really lenient, but it is hard to expect servers and clerks to be the alcohol police too. They can, and probably will, lose their jobs if they serve minors though, even if it was an honest mistake. Maybe you look old enough.

I came here from a state where everything was illegal, so I kept looking over my shoulder for about a year before I was comfortable living where people weren't such hypocrites.

I came from a dry state ...at least it was then; it isn't that way now. Since everything was illegal, people did what people everywhere do in as much secrecy as possible. Booze had to purchased from a state run liquor store until the Baptists and the Bootleggers finally lost the liquor by the drink issue in the legislature to taxes and maybe even reason.

But when I lived there, when we went out we carried our bottle in a brown paper bag, and put it under the table. Then we bought "set ups", ice and 7-UP or whatever. When the cops came in they would look around and if they didn't see booze on the table they would leave. BUT, if the owner hadn't paid his bribes, they would look under the tables and arrest the owner, and the patrons.

It was also OK to buy something like two quarts of booze at the state run liquor store ...but it was illegal to have more than a fifth in your car. So I guess you were supposed to walk home with it.

Gambling was a crime on the order of murder (or so you'd think), but every roadhouse had games going on in the back. I think that is still true of most all other states; even some of those with legalized gaming. I mean, what is the point of riverboat casinos if not hypocrisy?

[dynimagelv]

Originally Posted by bledsoe3

You get yours free?

ACTUALLY yes.....customers seem to think they should always bring me booze,,,,I have enough kahlua to choke a horse plus various and sundry other thing....I can stay drunk if I live to a hundred.