Las Vegas residents can now get alcohol delivered to their homes

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    LAS VEGAS (FOX5/KVVU) — In a six to one vote, Las Vegas City Council approved an ordinance Wednesday allowing businesses to partner with third-party services like Doordash or Grubhub to deliver booze to customers.

Las Vegas City Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Stavros Anthony introduced the ordinance about a month ago.

“The ordinance passed!” said Anthony. “And this allows businesses to delivery alcohol, beer wine, whiskey, whatever.”

But the ordinance is limited only to homes and offices. Customers in hotels and casinos are not allowed. Anthony said he feels it will prevent instances of drunk driving.

“Helps keep people off the road who have a little liquor in their system,” said Anthony.

He also argued that it will be good for pandemic-devastated businesses.

“Really another tool in their tool basket to make a profit,” said Anthony.

Reps from Instacart, Albertson’s and 7-Eleven voiced support.

“This ordinance would actually support the brick-and-mortar locations. The grocery stores are looking to decrease their own costs by allowing them to outsource,” said Ryan Sax, who said he represents clients Instacart and Amazon.

Sax also said he felt comfortable with the “security” of the ordinance.

“This ordinance, as staff has introduced — has drafted it — has strict alcohol security processes for these delivery companies that require ID’ing and training that we believe would be very safe,” said Sax.

But one Las Vegas valley woman, Heather Green, who recently worked as an Instacart driver during the pandemic, said she worries the ordinance will make it easier for alcohol to get in the hands of minors.

“What’s to say that — if they ordered alcohol, and they have it delivered — they don’t get their parents’ IDs,” said Green.

To mitigate this by increasing accountability, one Las Vegas bar owner, Derek Stonebarger of Rebar, shared a suggestion at the meeting for delivery companies to require of their drivers: sheriffs’ cards.

“Like, in my industry, the bartender is ultimately responsible if they serve to an underaged person. They can lose their license; they can lose their sheriffs’ card. Same thing should happen with a delivery driver. They should be responsible to check their ID.”

Green also worries about how it might affect those suffering from addiction.

“This could be another epidemic that we see. I don’t think we need anymore,” said Green.

Only one councilmember, Michele Fiore, voted against the ordinance because she said it would take money from liquor stores.

To compete with big liquor-store chains, Stonebarger said that small businesses will now likely want to consider “focusing on certain types of liquors, alcohols. Unique things like Smokewagon that’s made here locally, that they don’t carry.”

Participating businesses need to have a package liquor license to offer delivery via services like Doordash or Grubhub.

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