Mike Winter, the association’s Executive Director, told state gaming commission members that the use of fake ID’s is the most common way minors try to get in – but there have also been cases where they tried to climb over walls, blend in with crowds, and in a few cases, sneak in with the help of their parents. Barrett Hatches is chairman of the Missouri Gaming Commission.

“I think (the industry is) doing a good job, but they certainly can do better," Hatches said. "They’re really focused on it, it shows a commitment for it…I wouldn’t say it’s a really, really big problem, but any minor on any floor is a problem.”

Winter says they caught around 850 minors trying to sneak into the state’s casinos during Fiscal Year 2012, which ended in June.

“When you enter one of our casinos, you have to go through a turnstile, and there are security officers there," Winter said. "They are very diligent in looking for fake, altered, fraudulent identification.”

Winter says they know of 44 minors who succeeded in sneaking into a Missouri casino during the last fiscal year. He also told commission members that Missouri’s casinos do a good job of disciplining personnel who are not vigilant towards keeping minors out or who deliberately let them in.

St. Louis Public Radio ©September 2012