Las Vegas curfew is a political move

Bradley Kuhns, Las Vegas

Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2013 | 2:01 a.m.

The City Council put a curfew into effect over a large swath of Las Vegas. On Friday night, officers were checking IDs downtown. There were long lines, and quite a few people were irate about the wait.

The City Council’s argument for the curfew is the old worn-out reason that it is best for the children. They say minors should not be around where adults are drinking booze. They say the weekends and holidays are for the adults to play. Really? If that’s the case, then keep the minors out of all the casinos in Las Vegas. I have seen minors running through the casinos, sitting on casino stairs, even walking on the casino floor.

I have lived in Las Vegas since 1953, and I can tell you that when the mob owned the town, no one younger than 21 was allowed in a casino. That was a hard-and-fast rule. If people had children, they took them to restaurants that were not in a casino.

The curfew being jammed down the throats of Las Vegans is a political move to satisfy casino titans and contributors to the lawmakers’ campaigns. This is a betting town. Do you want to bet on how long it will be before the City Council, with the blessing and backing of the casinos, expands the curfew from weekends to other days of the week?