Card Player – Maryland is looking at imposing penalties for those caught gambling while underage at casinos in the state.
Under the proposed law change, a first offense would be a fine up to $100, a second would be $500 and a third $1,000. The third would also force those underage to participate in gambling addiction treatment.
According to the Maryland State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, there were
47 violations for underage gambling in state casinos during calendar 2013, resulting in
fines totaling $30,000 for the casinos.
A pair of bills are in the legislature at the moment. They can be found here and here.
According to The Washington Post, the proposal is gaining momentum this year.
“It’s actually a very important bill,” Del. Kirill Reznik, who sponsored the legislation the past two years as well, told The Post. “The casinos are saying, ‘Please help us.’ ”
Maryland will soon be home to two more commercial casinos. The state authorized live dealer table games in 2012, which was considered a significant expansion of gambling.
