Gadling

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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

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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

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