Former New Jersey gambling regulator wants to raise gambling age to 21

David Rebuck, the recently retired Director of New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, has made a public call for the strengthening of certain gambling laws that would help protect consumers.

Time for a change in New Jersey’s gambling laws

According to Rebuck, cited by various media outlets and the Associated Press, the law in the Garden State ought to change to bump all gambling activities to the legal age of 21, from the current legal age, 18. New Jersey is among a few of the states that have slightly more liberal gambling laws when it comes to players’ gambling age.

Most other states maintain 21 as the minimum threshold. However, Rebuck would not stop with just the gambling age if he could have his say. He would also want to get rid of arcade machines that are built to purposefully resemble casino games, such as slots.

He also has called for a better and more thorough oversight of products of daily fantasy sports. Gambling is associated with addiction, Rebuck did not hesitate to argue, but the goal was to make sure that young people are protected as much as possible.

The National Council on Problem Gambling, and its Executive Director, Keith Whyte, have already supported Rebuck’s calls for reexamining the gambling contract and ensuring that the rules are set in such a way as to have maximum impact on protecting players.

"His deep experience and strong leadership as a regulator give him a great perspective on the importance of addressing problem gambling and continuously modernizing the oversight of gambling in New Jersey and nationwide," Whyte added cited by the media agency.

As he has stepped down from an executive position in the gambling framework, Rebuck has not accepted to take a backseat in addressing the industry’s problems from a regulatory standpoint.

Dated laws that need to be rethought

According to him, most of the laws that were still operational were dated, in the sense that they sought to crack down on organized crime rather than prioritize player well-being. With organized crime now out of the way, at least so far as the gambling sector in Atlantic City is concerned, the priority should be on making sure young people are protected.

Skill-based games, social gaming apps, and sweepstakes are all part of an ecosystem that may distort the perception of gambling and lead to addiction, Rebuck insists, and the public needs to know that these entertainment options also constitute a form of gambling.

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