Casino sex trafficking

As I first brought out in this blog on proposed Assembly Bill 67, the law to toughen sex trafficking in Nevada will be meaningless if does not address the full spectrum of sex trafficking.

If the law is only to target low-end "Midnight Cowboy" types, then it will have been a waste of time. But if the bill will also address the sex trafficking that goes on in casinos, with a wink and nod from casino management, then something really meaningful will have been accomplished.

Case in point. Read this story on a big local casino that will pay a $1 million fine to settle a sex trafficking sting conducted by the Gaming Control Board. You can see the details here.

A $1 million dollar fine is next to nothing for most casinos in Las Vegas. Yet, that's all that's going to happen in this case because it is happening on more of an administrative level than a criminal level.

But criminal behavior was clearly apparent in this case. Under AB67 this would have been a criminal matter. Paying a $1 million fine is one thing, but sending the casino's CEO and board of directors to prison for 20 years is quite another.

PS -- If we are going to be completely honest, Las Vegas tourism is partly sold on the idea of sex trafficking. "What happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas" kinda thing. In addition, prostitution is legal in many rural counties in Nevada. Watch legislators and the casino lobby on AB67. It should be very interesting. My guess is the casino lobby will try to strangle this baby in the crib. I hope I am wrong, of course.