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Foreigner gambling in Atlantic City? Must bring passport

by Iva Skoch on Mar 28th 2008 at 1:30PM

A friend was telling me last night that her French boyfriend, who lives in New York, got kicked out of the Borgata, a casino in Atlantic City. He wasn't even gambling; he was just there with her. The reason? He didn't bring his passport and his French driver's license was not a sufficient form of ID. Only passports or IDs from the US are accepted.

That is so stupid. It is so easy to get a New York ID. You don't even have to live in New York to get one. Why wouldn't they accept a foreign ID? It's not like we are talking about using it to get into the Pentagon. It is a casino.

Needless to say, he was not happy. They stayed in a $500/night suite at the Borgata, which apparently didn't help them. Of course, to book that room, they didn't need a passport. I don't think they'll be going back anytime soon. This is how the French boyfriend described Atlantic City: "You step outside the hotel and it's like a third world country." Couldn't say it better myself.

Filed under: North America, United States

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Nick Hawkins Mar 28th 2008 2:56PM

Wow, this was a troll post.

If the casino clearly states that they only accept US licenses or passports, then a French drivers license wouldn't cut it. Would that work in a bar? Probably not.

iva.skoch Mar 28th 2008 3:03PM

Thanks for the kind words, Nick :-) They do not clearly state it, that is part of the problem. And yes, most US bars will gladly accept a foreign ID from my experience. Most importantly, I think it is crazy to think that somebody who pays $500/night for a hotel room will lie about his age and show a fake French ID just to come to Atlantic City...

Nick Hawkins Mar 28th 2008 3:18PM

So this wasn't a troll? I mean, if I were to run a blog and wrote, "hey, this happened to a friend of mine..." I'd be mocked because it tosses any notion of objectivity out the window. Normally I like your articles but was like "holy crap."

There could have been a few possibilities:
1) Some overzealous or stupid security person didn't recognize it, and denied him admittance. It happens. I mean, would your average person be able to tell a French drivers license from a Dutch drivers license? Better yet, how could you know if it's legit or not?

2) The casino has an official policy for only allowing certain forms of IDs. It's possible.

And your friend's bf could have said "hey, I'm staying in room , my ID's upstairs." Or he could have asked to see a manager...

In the time it took you to write this post, you could have called the Casino and asked what their official policy was and then said, hey, I'm calling on behalf of so-and-so and they were denied entry because of a foreign drivers license - that would have made for a better article because it's like you're an investigative journalist or something! Two years ago in Auckland, I went to the Casino at Sky City and tried getting in with my Illinois DL and was refused. Went back to the hotel, got my passport - problem solved.

coach Apr 1st 2008 4:23PM

nick, nick, stick to "making an ass of yourself" (your words) on your own blog.
Hamlet, Act 3, scene 2, 230.

Nick Hawkins Apr 1st 2008 4:32PM

You're still not very good at this whole reading comprehension thing.

Zach Mar 29th 2008 11:17AM

Why would you state that you can get a New York state ID easily without even living there? Has nothing to do with a French tourist in a New Jersey casino. Casino's are strict for a reason. When I go overseas I make sure I take my passport with me where ever I go.

shoreAC Mar 30th 2008 8:37AM

Just want to clear up any misunderstanding here. The person described in this incident actually complained to the Borgata. in his note, his complaint was that he was not permitted to gamble without presenting his passport. He wasn't asked to leave simply because he had no ID. He just was not permitted to gamble. In New Jersey underage gaming is not permitted and is a serious offense. It's not reasonable to expect that any establishment to know the authenticity of every form of ID in the world -- thus the reason for requiring a passport for activities that require a legal age (i.e. gaming and drinking alcohol). In most cases, persons in a foreign country are expected to present a passport for just this reason.

coach Mar 30th 2008 2:50PM

lame excuse, Borgata. if i pay $500 a night on a hotel room, i would expect to be treated as such.
my immediate reaction is a) if he was causing trouble, sure, kick him out, but b) if he's not, your FRONT DESK accepted his French ID AND HIS CREDIT CARD for the $500 per night stay, so why can't he be in the casino??? how about warning him when he made the reservation? lame, lame, lame excuses.

Nick--egg on your face, since the blog facts have been verified by the Borgata. go hide now.

Nick Hawkins Apr 1st 2008 12:55PM

What are you talking about? There's no egg on my face. I did ask a) what the hotel's official stance was and b) what else there was to the story. I'm sure that this could have been cleared up when the incident happened. There's clearly more, but I guess we're not privy to it.

Next time, try harder when thinking. You're just not good at it.

alex Mar 30th 2008 10:47PM

The problem with american people is that you are all obsessed with security, ID, etc... A passport is only needed to TRAVEL! To go through airport security checkpoints, international immigration services, etc... NOT TO GAMBLE IN A CASINO!
The Borgata, when you make your reservation, only ask you to bring a "VALID ID" with you. A French national ID is totally legal and recognized by the international community, what about asking that question to the French Embassy in Washington DC? When you travel to Europe, once you pass the airport, you just need to have your ID with you, and any foreign ID is accepted. Why only the US should have their own retarded law? Now, if the Borgata doesn't accept such ID, it's the hotel's job to let the foreign customers aware of it! Funny thing, they just care about your money and don't seem bothered by the rest...
The problem in the US is that every young american has fake ID everywhere so authorities became paranoiac... ok this only happens in the US, european people dont need to lie everyday about not being underaged like people do here... You are bothered all the time here with "ID check" to drink, to smoke... and now to gamble! Funny thing, what about carrying a gun with you?? Where is your "ID check" here?

Eva Mar 31st 2008 12:24AM

This story's confusing... Did he not have his passport with him in AC at all, or just on his person at the time? If he's a traveler, what's he doing without his passport? If he's living in New York permanently, why doesn't he have New York ID?

When I'm in a foreign country, I never assume that anything other than my passport will be accepted as ID. I thought that was standard practice.

His comment about AC being like a 3rd world country makes me wonder how he handled himself when staff first approached him for ID... Treating people with complete contempt is not a great way to get them to help you out or bend the rules.

DJ Mar 31st 2008 4:37AM

he's probably living here illegally...and doesn't deserve to win

DJ Mar 31st 2008 4:40AM

A foreigner visiting the USA (or any country) should have their passport with them all the time, to prove their status. If you don't like it, STAY HOME PLEASE