Rhode Island Could Raise Its Legal Gambling AgeGaming Operations Could No Longer Allow 18-Year-Olds |
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Rhode Island could raise the legal age to gamble from 18 to 21.
A bill introduced into the state legislature last week would increase the age for “any facility where there is a pari-mutuel system, casinos or slot parlors.”
House Bill No. 5032 would also provide penalties, including fines and loss of a driver’s license, for underage gambling. The proposal was introduced by five lawmakers.
In November, the Associated Press reported that voters approved an initiative to give then Twin River slots parlor the ability to offer table games, such as poker, effectively making it a casino. However, table games at Newport Grand Slots were rejected by local voters.
Supporters of the table-games plan argued it could help Rhode Island compete against other states in the region, most notably Massachusetts, which will soon allow three new resort-style casinos to be built after lawmakers approved a measure in 2011.