Minimum age to gamble

The following is from the Casino Fined thread:

Quote: bigfoot66

I do think that 14 year olds should be allowed to gamble, but I was not attempting to defend that position here.

I'm not so sure about that.

The reason it's 21 is because they serve alcohol without checking ID. Personally, I think it shouldn't be any higher than 18, regardless of the drinking age, even in a casino that serves alcohol. Sure it would be a logistics PITA for the casino to make it 18, but they've had other logistics nightmares to deal with and they generally figure it out.

I added 16 to the voting options because that is the age were kids start to get jobs. So if they have money, can't they spend it any way they wish?


So please vote!

There are a few Indian casinos in Michigan where the minimum age is 18 and they also serve alcohol. Soaring Eagle is one of them and they get a large crowd of kids 18-20 since it is practically down the street from Central Michigan University.

Same deal with most casinos in New York State. Turning Stone (Indian casino) is the big one, that is 18+ even though alcohol is served. The state lottery run race tracks/slot parlors are all 18+ too and they also serve alcohol. Turning Stone finally negotiated a deal with New Year State to serve alcohol on the gaming floor (State made them go through a 3rd party that wasn't immune from taxes, figures), and in my visits since this change I have seen very few alcohol related issues. Drunks betting even more stupidly than usual, yea. Drunks being annoying to dealers/other players, yes. Being disorderly or causing issues requiring security to intervene, not so much. The nightclub is 18+ on Thursday nights and I've heard from dealers that they have a lot of issues with guests partying quite loudly in their rooms before/after the club is open, but that's not an issue that concerns me as a gambler.

My view is simple:

IF YOU CAN DIE FOR YOU'R COUNTRY YOU'R AN ADULT

Quote: DJTeddyBear

I added 16 to the voting options because that is the age were kids start to get jobs.
So please vote!

At what age do little girls start interacting with their fathers and forming pleasant memories of the events? See Beth Rayner in Lay The Favorite whose early memories were of going down to see which greyhounds had defecated before a race so her father could bet wisely and of playing her own hand of Blackjack in the Bahamas and getting a sip of his beer whenever she won with a blackjack.
Age 9 if I recall correctly.

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

There are a few Indian casinos in Michigan where the minimum age is 18 and they also serve alcohol. Soaring Eagle is one of them and they get a large crowd of kids 18-20 since it is practically down the street from Central Michigan University.

If you even look like you're under 30 they
card you. And you better have good ID with
your pic and b-date, more than 1 ID. Under
21 and you won't get served.

Quote: whatme

My view is simple:

IF YOU CAN DIE FOR YOU'R COUNTRY YOU'R AN ADULT

This would only suggest that military personnel who have completed basic training should be able to gamble. There's quite a path from filling out a draft card to fighting and dying for your country, and that path will force a man to increase his maturity level to a different place. Merely being in a pool of men who could, one day, if forced, be in the military, I don't think that automatically rises to the level that you seek it to. But even if you do, that would mean only men would be eligible to gamble at age 18.

Quote: cclub79

That would mean only men would be eligible to gamble at age 18.

So draft women, too, for obligatory national service.

I'd favor raising the gambling age to 26. That's how long childhood's supposed to last these days, isn't it?

Seriously, although I've often wondered why the US insists on making 21 the "legal" age, when it is 18 in many other places, when it comes to casino gambling I've no objections. Do you want to gamble in a casino overrun by teenagers, even sober ones?

Quote: EvenBob

If you even look like you're under 30 they
card you. And you better have good ID with
your pic and b-date, more than 1 ID. Under
21 and you won't get served.

Exactly. I'm near 40 and get ID'd everywhere I play. Even by security that know me.