Online Gambling becoming more Popular amongst College

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A new trend is immerging where college students are proving to be the group of people amongst whom Internet gambling is growing the most, and with Bills being passed in Florida to lower the gambling limit, the pattern could spread to real casinos in the state.

The Senate Regulated Industries Committee in Florida have passed two new Bills which, if signed into law, could lower the legal age at which you are permitted to gamble from twenty one down to eighteen, potentially creating a whole new source of revenue for casino operators.

The Bills are intended to create a more consistent system as at the moment whilst an eighteen year old is allowed to play poker, the lottery and bet on horses, they cannot play slots, blackjack, or other Class III casino games.

Sponsor of the Bill and Chairman of the committee that passed it, Dennis Jones, states, "We wanted it to be uniform all the way across. We felt that eighteen was a good age.”

However, not all are in favour of the change in law, "You're talking about opening up all kinds of gambling to the young, to the highest risk gambling groups," said Pat Fowler, Executive Director of the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling told the Tallahassee Bureau, "The majority of them don't have a real grip on finances and a budget."

When told of Fowler's comments, Herbert Clancey quickly gave his rebuttal, saying, "I disagree totally. There are thousands of adults who cannot balance their own check books, but are allowed to gamble legally in a casino. College students most of the time are better off financially to gamble then people who have families to support and monthly bills to pay."

source: Online Gambling, by Kayley Almond, March 27, 2009