California gambling

The threat to Nevada's gaming economy has, until now, been casinos on Indian reservations. But a shadowy initiative could break open all of California to Nevada-style gambling, and that's enough to make us quake.

Not much is known yet about the initiative, so far called the Gaming Control Act. The California secretary of state authorized a group to start collecting signatures for a ballot initiative to remove many of the restrictions now imposed on tribal casinos, card clubs and horse tracks -- the gaming establishments already allowed in the Golden State.

Surely it will be a tough battle, even to collect the necessary signatures. But the key may be who finances a pro-gaming campaign in California. And as we've seen, casino-owning corporations doing business in Nevada may feel no qualms about pouring money into an opportunity to greatly expand their market.

Aside from the obvious potential to swallow much of Nevada's gaming industry, the California proposal carries a disturbing codicil.

It would set the age for gambling -- sports wagering, blackjack, slots, craps, you name it -- at 18. Eighteen is already the legal age to gamble in some Indian casinos in California.

The minimum in Nevada (and New Jersey) is 21. We have seen Nevada's Gaming Control Board actively discourage the promotion of gambling to young people, for example by disallowing slot machines with cartoon themes.

It's an example of Nevada's long experience with bettors and the potentially addictive lure of gambling. It requires a level of maturity not usually found in teenagers.

As Nevada residents, we would have a hard time making a moral argument against gaming in California. But if a proposal goes forward with a minimum gambling age of 18, we would have no difficulty whatsoever in opposing it.