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Isle of Capri sues underage gamblers to recoup $20,000 fine

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By Ann McGlynn | Sunday, September 23, 2007 7:01 PM CDT | () comments

Isle of Capri is suing two underage gamblers for a $20,000 fine the company paid because of the women’s presence on the Bettendorf gambling boat.

Amanda Taner, 20, of Peoria, Ill., and Gina Taner, 18, of Pekin, Ill., are being sued in Scott County District Court.

Amanda and Gina Taner could not be reached for comment. Isle officials declined comment, except to say that anyone who looks like they are younger than 35 is supposed to be carded.

The security guard who allowed them on the boat was fired, records show.

According to records from the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission:

The Taners walked through the skywalk to the entrance turnstile at about 7:10 p.m. on April 15. The security guard, Alan Zwicker, did not request identification from the Taners.

The entrance, the Isle’s lawsuit states, is clearly marked with a sign that says, “Attention. You must be 21 years old to go beyond this point.”

The women walked around the second deck of the casino for a few minutes before sitting down at slot machines and gambling. During the hour they were on the floor, they gambled at 16 slot machines.

They were discovered and cited for underage gambling, state records say.

A few hours earlier, the Taners had attempted to enter the casino and were denied because they did not have identification.

In levying the $20,000 fine, state officials wrote:

“The citizens of Iowa should have the greatest expectation that facility personnel are performing their duties with the highest degree of attentiveness,” adding that underage gambling “seriously jeopardizes the integrity of gaming” in Iowa.

It is not the first time Isle of Capri has been fined for allowing an underage gambler on board.

In May 2005, an 18-year-old man was stopped at the entrance and asked to provide a security guard with identification. He gave them a license from Delaware, which was rejected by the boat’s scanning equipment.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, which provides law enforcement at Isle of Capri, investigated and determined the license was invalid.

The teenager admitted he had come to the boat and been allowed to gamble and drink the previous two days.

A review of videotapes showed that on his first day on the boat, a security guard asked him for identification. When the scanner would not accept his driver’s license as valid, the guard asked him for a second form of identification. The teenager produced what appeared to be a credit card and was allowed inside.

He then played poker for 12 hours, and bought a drink from a waitress.

The next day, a similar scenario took place. This time, the teenager played poker for 10 hours.

Several poker room employees said at the time that they had received no identification and that it was “not their job” to request identification. They also believed it was security’s job at the entrance to monitor for underage gamblers.

The teenager was charged with unlawful use of a license and under-aged gambling.

The Isle agreed to pay a $10,000 fine to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission and implement additional training for employees.

Ann McGlynn can be contacted at (563) 383-2336 or amcglynn@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.

FINES PAID

Other large fines paid by area boats since 2004 include:

Isle of Capri in Bettendorf paid a $30,000 fine for the serving of alcohol to an intoxicated customer in July 2003.

The Mississippi Belle II in Clinton, Iowa, paid a $15,000 fine for serving alcohol to an intoxicated customer in August 2005.