You flick on your computer, log into your favorite online poker site, enter a room for a stack, and off you go into the world of online poker wagering. Many of these sites do not bother checking the age of its players; As long as you have the ability to fund your account, you can wager and play. Young people below the legal age of 18 or 21, can readily play on many of these poker sites.
Are these sites destroying today’s youth? Do these sites promote underage gambling and exacerbate gambling problems at an early age? link vào dafabet
Some opponents of online poker gambling, articulate the following reasons why it should be banned, and underage minors for being prohibited:
Easy to fund accounts – Some online poker sites put people at no age restrictions at their site. Underage gamblers can fund poker accounts through credit cards, their parents’ credit cards, bank transfer, and 3rd party eWallet intermediaries. The Gambler of the Age of Anonymity does not alert the poker site, in this instance, that an underage gambler is their site on wagering. Thus, there are no restrictions placed on underage gamblers on these types of sites.
Local laws are not enforced – mostly online gambling against some jurisdiction’s current laws and restrictions, and many sites (physically located in different jurisdictions, where poker and wagering are legal) still cater to these players. Again, there is no discrimination in these cases, the age or the locale of the player.
Lacking Money Management Skills – Many Opponents of Online and Underage Gambling Like to think of online poker caters as “a click of a mouse, and you’ll lose your house” syndrome. Although this bit of reasoning appears to be a bit extreme, online poker can offer a young gambler who is not well-versed in money management skills, the ability to lose a great deal of money, and a small amount of time.
Compulsive Gambling – Many studies have been done that show that compulsive gambling effects have a very small percentage of overall gamblers. However, does the easy access of online poker encouragement and foster compulsive gambling at a young age?
Money give-away – Are underage gamblers using their lunch money to gamble? Are they taking their allowances and betting on a Royal Flush? In short, are underage gamblers gambling with their everyday money?
Obsession – Is online poker an obsession today’s youth? Are they spending their free time in front of a screen (gambling), when in fact, it is taking away time from their family, friends, and school work? Is this obsession destroying their lives socially?
These are all valid concerns, and depending on the individual, they could be applicable or not. Fortunately, there are some counter-arguments to the above anti-youth-gambling rhetoric. The following is the online gambling argue of proponents:
Speech of Freedom – There are inherent freedoms in this world today. The internet shows no boundaries and internet gamblers (the youth included) should be able to do what they want with their own money. Freedom of speech is the paramount issue here.
Youth Gambling Detection – Some of the reputable online poker sites that already have sophisticated checks, to ensure that their patrons are not underage gamblers.
Hypocrisy – The Opposition is the quickest cry out against underage online poker players, yet there are many jurisdictions that permit underage gamblers to take part in online lotteries and online fantasy sports pools, which are often played for wager.
Regulation is the answer – if the online poker became regulated (for example, in the United States), the online underage argument could be nipped in the bud, and the prevention of underage gamblers could be addressed. There are many reputable online poker establishments running around the world that have enforced such checking for years, and the associated technology governance has reached this level of maturity. These technology advancements could be shared with jurisdictions that do not currently have these safeguards in place.
In summary, regulation of online poker universally would result in the ability to effectively administer age detection safeguards, which would eliminate the youth from gambling online. Although this may not be 100% foolproof, it will go the way of preserving and protecting today’s youth from the potential destructive forces of online gambling, and is certainly the best compromise that can be achieved.
Douglas Hayman, President of Expert Software Systems, is an SEO, database and web expert, who develops many informational websites on a variety of topics, including:
Most Popular Poker Sites – A Premier Poker website that contains rules, rankings, strategies, playing tips, news, and much, much more.