Bills raise gambling age limits

Each day, dozens of poker players plop down $27 for a chance to qualify for a Texas Hold ‘Em tournament where the prize money can reach thousands of dollars.

Scattered among the contestants at Players and Spectators, a card room in the Spokane Valley, are college students and teenagers. In the past two years, general manager Scott Letsch has lowered the age limit from 21 to 18 as competition from tribal casinos and other card rooms grew.

“I could advance the argument that, ‘Hey, they can go to war, they can make their own decisions,’ ” Letsch said. “The reality is they aren’t going to quit playing.”

The boom in poker games, particularly among college-age students, has now attracted the attention of legislators. Bills in both the House and Senate propose raising the gambling age from 18 to 21, affecting not just card rooms, but horse tracks and the state lottery as well.

“Gambling can be just as addictive as drugs and alcohol,” said Jennifer McCausland, executive director of Second Chance Washington, an anti-gambling group. “Teens and their parents need to know that they’re not just gambling with money, they’re gambling with their lives.”

Fueled by televised poker tournaments with outrageous personalities and carefully edited drama, poker has boomed in Washington since 2000. The state’s card rooms collected $307 million in receipts last year, up from $187 million in 2000.

Nationwide, poker participation increased 50 percent last year, according to the American Gaming Association, an industry group.

But behind the thrill lie troubling statistics, according to gambling opponents. A 1999 state study found that more than 25,000 Washington adolescents were at risk for gambling problems. In 2004, a study of universities in Connecticut found that nearly one in five college males exhibited signs of problem gambling.

“It can be assumed if they raise the age limit, it would reduce problem gambling by adolescents,” said Henry Montgomery, a Spokane psychologist who treats problem gamblers. “It makes sense to me.”

But the bill may face an uphill battle this session.

The state’s lucrative lottery funnels about $100 million a year into educational programs. Although precise figures were unavailable, the Washington State Lottery said about 14 percent of its players are ages 18 to 24.

Rep. Alex Wood, D-Spokane, said state law treats 18-year-old residents as adults. He said some casinos have established their own age limits and seem to be policing card rooms effectively.

“Right now, it’s the old, ‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,’ ” said Wood, vice chairman of the House’s Commerce and Labor Committee. “Up until now, I think it’s been handled pretty well.”

Advocates said the legislation would not affect most tribal casinos because the state’s compact with the tribes already prohibits minors from being in casinos where alcohol is served.

Sen. Brad Benson, R-Spokane, a supporter of the legislation, said he worked in a casino during college and its 21-year-old age limit was strictly enforced. Benson said younger players may not be as financially responsible as older adults.

“I think that 21 is a reasonable age,” Benson said.

Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn, said gambling is “a shot of adrenaline that becomes addictive.

“You don’t smell it on their breath, you don’t see it in their walk, but it’s a great tormentor for them,” Roach said. “We should not be helping young people into addictive behavior just to fill the hole for education.”