Hilton pays $350,000 fine for allowing children to gamble

The Las Vegas Hilton Thursday paid a $350,000 fine to settle charges that the casino allowed minors to play slot machines while waiting on line for its Star Trek: The Experience attraction.

The Hilton paid the fine after the Nevada Gaming Commission approved the settlement.

"I'm satisfied that the Hilton has reacted responsibly and appropriately," said Commission Chairman Bill Curran.

The controversy arose in late February, when the Gaming Control Board filed a 10-count complaint alleging several instances in which minors climbed on or attempted to play slots, or watched while their parents played. In all of the incidents, which took place Feb. 14 and 15, the children were waiting in an hour-long line for tickets to the Star Trek exhibit, or in a 3-hour line for the attraction itself.

"In the waiting lines there were countless minors ... some clearly fascinated with and fixated on the machines," said Charlotte Matanane, an assistant attorney general.

Nevada gaming laws prohibit minors from gambling or loitering near gambling activity.

Matanane said the Star Trek lines were routed through casino areas, and that casino employees did little to keep minors away from the machines.

"There were casino personnel present who did nothing," Matanane said. At other times, no personnel were present, she said.

After the Hilton's top managers were notified of the problem, the casino took immediate action, Matanane said.

"To the Hilton's credit, as soon as they learned about the board's concern, they took steps to rectify the situation," she said.

Bill Keaton, chief security officer at the Hilton, said the Star Trek lines are currently being routed through non-gaming hallways, and that barrier walls are being built to accommodate the lines.

"We want to prove to both the bodies (the Gaming Commission and Gaming Control Board) ... that we want to be in compliance with all rules and regulation," Keaton said.

Dave Harrold, the Hilton's president and chief operating officer, said the casino had expected the Star Trek attraction to draw an older crowd of hard-core "trekkies."

"We weren't prepared for the amount of children and the influx of children," Harrold said.

He conceded Hilton employees should have stepped in to prevent minors from getting close to the gaming machines. He blamed the lapse on the "country club" mentality of security personnel who have since been replaced.

"This will never happen again," Harrold said. "Now we know what we have and we're adjusting accordingly."

He added the massive February crowds -- 12,000 tickets were sold on Feb. 14 and 15 -- have since died down.

"We would pray to God that we see this kind of business again," Harrold said.

Average waiting time for the Star Trek attraction is now 30 to 45 minutes, said Keaton.

Frank Schreck, an attorney for the Hilton, said the $350,000 fine was negotiated between Gaming Control Board members and the Hilton as a way to send a strong signal to the gaming industry.

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