"Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Chairman Rodney Butler explains that he was just talking off-the-cuff when he told a reporter last week that the state should consider two casino-related revenue enhancers: lowering the legal age for gambling to 18 from 21 and extending until 4 a.m. the sale of alcoholic beverages.

These changes would increase business at the tribe's Foxwoods Resort Casino and in turn boost revenues to state coffers, which receive 25 cents for every dollar the state's two casinos earn on their slot machines.

Times are hard, but luring teens into gambling and encouraging nearly round-the-clock drinking is not the way to solve the fiscal problems of Foxwoods or the state.

Betting can be recreational, but teens do not have the maturity to do so responsibly and may quickly find themselves in deep financial trouble.

Besides, the casinos are regulated under the state's liquor laws, and Connecticut's legal drinking age is 21, which puts the kibosh on lowering the gambling age unless the drinking age goes down too.

Is Mr. Butler contemplating non-drinking teen gambling rooms? That's a troubling thought."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Legal teen gambling is a very bad idea (The New London Day 5/16)

More Opinions:
Our view: Drinking, gambling aren’t revenue streams (The Norwich Bulletin 5/17)
Editorial: No To Gaming At 18 (The Hartford Courant 5/17)
Editorial: Is Gambling Worth It? (The Hartford Courant 5/17)

Also Today:
Suggestion About Lowering Legal Gambling Age Getting Little Support (The Hartford Courant 5/17)

Related Stories:
Pequot leader clarifies comments about lower gambling age (5/14)
Pequot Tribe seeks lower gambling age, longer alcohol sales (5/13)