Underage gamblers frequenting casinos or gambling institutions is a common problem. Casinos often deny the winning amount to the jackpot winners who are not eligible to play due to age constraints. Often it so happens that casinos have to forfeit the winning amount. Therefore, a regulatory framework is required on part of the casinos and states, to discourage juveniles from frequenting such places. Hotel rooms, meals and other high end facilitates are provided to winners without verifying their age.
Initially when security guards at the casino caught underage players, they had no power to detain them. Due to this, many of them would escape. To curtail this issue, the casino control commission has empowered the guards to detain suspects and underage gamblers till the police arrive to make an arrest. This step was taken in the hope of discouraging juveniles from entering casinos. Casinos whole heartedly support this measure as they are levied with fines for allowing unintentional underage gambling.
Atlantic City’s casinos have been facing a number of underage players. The legal age for entry into casinos and drinking in the state of New Jersey is 21. Statistics reveal that every year thousands of underage visitors are detained and nearly hundred arrests are made. In the year 2008, 403 underage gamblers were arrested. Apart from the arrests the casino had to pay a fine for allowing the players inside. A penalty of $157,000 was paid by Bally’s casino in the Atlantic City for allowing a teenager to gamble on more than one occasion. In Atlantic City, the New Jersey casino control commission is responsible for levying fines. The money won by the underage gamblers is used for humanitarian purposes. A part of the money is used to sponsor initiatives for the senior citizens and the remainders are used for conducting programs to eliminate compulsive gambling.
In Connecticut, the decision of levying penalty for underage gambling lies with the tribal court. The money won by too young gamblers is considered void. Offenders who have committed the crime for the first time are inducted into a state run rehabilitation program. Once they complete the program, they are placed under probation and on successful completion all charges against them are dropped.
Casino owners, gambling operators and security guards all need to work in conjunction to eliminate underage gambling. A strict security check needs to be conducted before allowing patrons inside the casino. Documents such as driver’s license, passport or any other document providing information about date of birth should be thoroughly checked in case of suspicion. Underage players or children accompanying adults should be discouraged in casinos.
Information regarding the detrimental affect gambling has on fragile minds of the youth should be made available through orientation programs. Some casinos are using electronic verification machines to combat this problem. It is the moral responsibility of casinos to ensure that they have a robust authentication process to control underage gambling, which can have an everlasting harmful effect. Underage gambling often paves the road for drug addiction.
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