ID Fraud Cases Rise at Las Vegas Casinos Amid Tourism Declines

You’ve likely read about Sin City’s recent tourism declines, but identity fraud cases are on the rise at Las Vegas casinos, dispensaries, and nightclubs.

IDScan.net analyzed over 1.4 million identity verification transactions in 2024-2025. The company found that fraud attempts rose more than 50% year-on-year, even as foot traffic declined by double digits at Las Vegas establishments.

Casinos experienced the most significant spike, according to the company’s study, increasing from 1.22% in 2024 to 2.33% this year.

“We’re seeing that most of the fraud happening right now is from what you might call traditional ID fraud, where people are using counterfeit, borrowed, or even deepfaked IDs to bypass age verification systems,” IDScan.net CEO Jimmy Roussel said. “What’s changing is the scale and sophistication. …

“Fraudsters are getting more strategic in taking advantage of leaner teams and slower nights to bypass security processes. The data makes clear that businesses can’t afford to scale back their ID verification processes, even when traffic is down.”

Currently, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s most recent statistical activity report notes that 955 cases of identity theft were reported as of September 28. Trend-wise, that number suggests that this year will roughly equal the 1,202 reported city-wide cases in all of 2024.

Underage Gambling Persists at Casinos Across the Country

Pennsylvania is among the states cracking down on underage gambling at casinos. In July, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) fined Rivers Casino Philadelphia $30,000 after two separate incidents involving underage patrons playing at the casino.

A 17-year-old male was flagged for bringing an underage female onto casino grounds. Investigators later determined that he used another person’s ID to access the casino for three consecutive days.

A 19-year-old woman entered without showing identification and was later nabbed when trying to apply for a loyalty reward program.

Last month, the PGCB fined the operator of Valley Forge Casino Resort $30,000 after a 13-year-old was able to access the gaming floor and gamble on slot machines. 

Last year, Rivers Casino Portsmouth in Virginia got slapped with a $545,000 fine by the Virginia Lottery for allowing underage people in the facility. The casino had repeated violations of underage people on the gaming floor.

Lack of surveillance and security staff is often a factor in these types of incidents. While Las Vegas attempts to rebound from tourism dips, expect ID fraud and underage gambling to remain prevalent at casinos across the country.