Concerning Findings in US and UK for Underage Poker Gambling
Concerning Findings in US and UK for Underage Poker Gambling
Monday 13th March 2006
A London newspaper has reported that the number of teenagers playing (and losing) illegally on poker sites in the UK is on the rise. The Observer raised concerns that a number of sites use poker schools to train kids as young as 16, who then bypass the age verification systems and have themselves a field day, usually with their parents American Express taking the strain.
In the US, it’s said that the number of minors gambling online has reached nearly 600,000 a week, with the number of high school and college kids calling gambling help lines doubling in the past two years. Whilst wholesale regulation in the US is unlikely ever to happen, in the UK a new gambling commission is set to rein in those playing illegally as of 2007. The UK minister in charge of gambling, Richard Caborn, has described playing poker online as the ‘Wild West of gambling’. In the meantime, it’s down to the poker sites to prevent those under age playing for cash and risking the reputation of the industry.
A London newspaper has reported that the number of teenagers playing (and losing) illegally on poker sites in the UK is on the rise. The Observer raised concerns that a number of sites use poker schools to train kids as young as 16, who then bypass the age verification systems and have themselves a field day, usually with their parents American Express taking the strain.