The state of Nevada has recently been toying with the idea of lowering the legal gambling age to 18. Currently, the minimum legal age is 21. Some supporters of this idea reason that, if an 18-year-old is old enough to vote and join the military to fight and risk death for his or her country, he or she should be afforded the same privileges as an adult.

Believe it or not, this issue may actually be seriously considered by the Nevada Legislature.

I don’t think the motive here is really to "champion" the rights of 18-year-olds, as much as it is to help improve the decline in the state’s gambling revenue, which is suffering economically like every other business in the United States. While more mature adults may have the self-discipline to limit the amount of money they spend in casinos or stay away from them altogether, 18-year-olds are unlikely to have the same degree of restraint.

Anybody who has ever observed the passion folks this young have for playing arcade and video games knows that letting them loose, armed with plenty of expendable cash, on slot machines, poker tables, roulette wheels and the like will result in millions more money for the state’s gaming industry.

Opponents of lowering the legal gambling age feel that this means that there will be young people losing huge amounts of money, going into debt, jeopardizing their financial stability and becoming addicted to gambling, creating a whole new problem. They believe that this opens the door to self-destruction and many potential tragedies.

Certainly, there are many adolescents who do gamble illegally, over the internet and via other means, but seldom are the results positive or for their ultimate benefit.

If individuals 21-year-old and above have problems with going overboard when they gamble, how much more susceptible to excess and addiction will 18-year-olds be?

Do you think Nevada should allow this or not?