Las Vegas City Council approves packaged liquor ordinance

An ordinance limiting the sale of packaged liquor on the Fremont Street Experience was approved Wednesday by the Las Vegas City Council.

There are six businesses that sell packaged liquor in souvenir and gift shops already on the mall, but the council will prohibit any new ones.

They did carve out an exception to allow packaged liquor sales for pharmacies and grocery stores, which has the potential to add two more businesses that sell packaged liquor.

Owners and employees of packaged liquor stores objected vehemently to the changes, accusing casinos of conspiring to put them out of business. Many were Hispanic and charged they are being discriminated against, waving signs saying “Don’t Treat Us Like Second Class Citizens” and blaming the casinos for trying to run them out of business.

But Buddy Rose, who owns caricature kiosks, said the people buying cheap liquor are creating crime and driving his customers away.

City Attorney Brad Jerbic showed a three-minute video demonstrating that at a handful of souvenir and gift shops, cashiers were telling people it was OK to buy packaged liquor and take it outside to drink, even opening beer bottles for customers.

Aliza Elazar-Higuchi, owner of Souvenir Supermart, said she will not be able to pay her mortgage and accused the casinos of only wanting to sell their own liquor.

But in feisty back-and-forths, city officials said they were dealing with problems of drunks who were making it so unpleasant for tourists that people are saying they won’t return downtown.

“We have to stop the crumminess that has taken over all of downtown Fremont Street,” Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian said.

The ban on further applications for stores that sell packaged liquor has blocked four new applicants. But it does not drive the other six out of business, officials said repeatedly.

Contact Jane Ann Morrison at jmorrison@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0275.