Nightclub rules set

Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan are all safely past the age of 21, so it will be up to the next generation of underage starlets to test Clark County's new rules for late-night hot spots in Las Vegas.

Commissioners on Tuesday approved the county's first ordinance specifically aimed at nightclubs and the people who try to talk their way inside.

The ordinance seeks to reinforce existing liquor license rules and spell out how they apply to the new breed of resort-based, dance-until-dawn clubs where high-priced alcohol flows freely and no one under 21 is allowed inside.

Under the ordinance, only nightclubs with restaurant operations can admit underage patrons, and only for the purpose of serving them food. Minors can be in the restaurant only between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. and are not allowed to venture into other areas of the club.

"It gives a definition to this new kind of business we've seen proliferate here in recent years," said Dan Kulin, a spokesman for Clark County. "It makes it really clear to everyone what the rules are."

"We never had a definition for nightclub. Now we'll have one in connection with the resort corridor," Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani said.

The rules have been in the works since last year when the county issued warnings to Tao Asian Bistro at The Venetian and Body English at the Hard Rock Hotel for admitting Hilton's then-19-year-old boyfriend, Stavros Niarchos.

Development of the ordinance also followed then-Clark County Sheriff Bill Young's call in February 2006 for nightclubs and other venues on the Strip to stop booking concerts by so-called "gangster rap" artists. At the time, Young argued that such concerts frequently were followed by shootings and other violent crimes.

That same month last year, Nevada gaming regulators sent a stern letter to the Strip's major casino operators, reminding them that they are ultimately responsible for any illegal activity at their clubs and entertainment venues, regardless of ownership.

County Business License Director Jacqueline Holloway said the nightclub ordinance was not a response to any specific incident. With 35 clubs now operating in the resort corridor and surrounding area, the county simply needed to define some terms and clarify some rules, she said.

"A nightclub is not a supper club. A nightclub is not a tavern. A nightclub is not a banquet hall," she explained.

She added that county staff performed spot inspections of all 35 clubs during development of the ordinance, with no violations recorded or warnings issued during that time.

Although Holloway downplayed the impact of celebrity mischief on the development of the nightclub ordinance, the background information presented Tuesday told a different story.

Along with a copy of the proposed ordinance, commissioners received several media accounts chronicling the New Year's Eve antics of Hilton and Niarchos at two local clubs. One of the stories noted that the Hard Rock Hotel also had made headlines for booting a then-underage Spears from one of its clubs.

Holloway said the ordinance was developed in consultation with club owners. "The industry has worked very closely with the department, and we look forward to continued partnerships."

As for the 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. restriction pertaining to minors at nightclub restaurants, Holloway said the rule corresponds with existing curfews for minors.

There is one possible loophole for celebrities. Under the new ordinance, clubs still are allowed to employ "a minor 18 years of age or older ... as an entertainer performing in a lounge show or theater restaurant."

Holloway acknowledged that an underage celebrity who is paid to make an appearance at a nightclub probably would fit the description of entertainer, even if his or her performance entails nothing more than showing up.

So what's to stop a club from drawing up a bogus contract making "entertainers" out of a 19-year-old starlet, her teenage boyfriend and everyone else in their underage entourage?

Nothing, perhaps, Holloway said, but she said she would be surprised if a club owner tried to "pull something like that."

T. Ann Aguon Perez, manager of business license operations for the county, put it another way: "They respect their licenses. They won't risk it."