Aria Casino hit with $100k Fine for treating Agents like Crap

Last October, Aria Casino officials didn’t exactly make Nevada undercover state gaming agents feel welcome during a roulette game. And now, a five-member from the Nevada Gaming Commission has approved a $100,000 fine that’s been leveled against the Aria.

Controversy arose when undercover state agents wanted to watch a high stakes roulette game at the Aria. However, they were told by casino employees that they could not view the game.

While casinos are allowed to have private rooms for high stakes gamblers, the roulette wheel in question was supposed to be open to the public. But those playing the roulette game reportedly told Aria officials that they didn’t want anybody watching them. This is when the casino workers told undercover agents that they had to leave. When the agents initially refused to leave, the Aria threatened to call security.

Nevada gaming laws state that “access of the general public to gaming activities must not be restricted in any manner except provided by the legislature.” Given that the roulette wheel was not in a private room, denying state gaming officials, or anybody else, from watching was clearly a violation of the law.

Since the incident, MGM Resorts, Aria’s parent company, claims that they’ve taken “significant steps” to comply with all regulations set forth by the Nevada Gaming Commission. The Commission recently released a report on the matter, which you can view here. Thanks to their compliance in the aftermath, the Aria was able to avoid the maximum fine of $500,000 for violating these regulations.

Despite the fine, this casino likely won’t slow down too much. In fact, Aria just announced a new expansion to their establishment – the ALIBI Cocktail Lounge. The 2,360-square-foot ALIBI, which cost almost $2.7 million to build, will be open 24 hours a day. The theme of this cocktail lounge is that of a sophisticated bar for those wanting to avoid the loud nightclubs and younger bars throughout Sin City.

Overall, Aria is one of Vegas’ most successful casinos, boasting over 4,000 hotel rooms, 16 restaurants, 11 bars and clubs (with ALIBI), a 150,00-square-foot gaming floor, a 215,000-square-foot pool area and a 300,000-square-foot convention center. Aside from all of its amenities and offerings, Aria was once called “the most technologically advanced hotel ever built” by Popular Mechanics.