Suddenly, the machine begins singing a happy tune as red and yellow lights flash in sync with the music. In shock, he looks at the face of the machine and can’t believe his eyes. Three matching sevens, all in a row, grin at him.

“I’ve hit the jackpot!

Oh no! I am only 17.” He groans in dismay as he realizes he cannot collect the cash.

Money won by a minor must be returned, and that’s not the only penalty. Gambling under the age of 21 in Las Vegas is a “misdemeanor by the state laws of Nevada,” says former Gaming Control Board enforcement agent Gary Austin.

The law states, “A person under the age of 21 years shall not play, be allowed to play, place wagers at, or collect winnings from, whether personally or through an agent, any gambling game, slot machine, race book, or sports pool,” meaning all forms of gambling are illegal for minors.

According to Gaming Control Board senior enforcement agent Steve Jupp, “Minors caught gambling are issued a citation, similar to a traffic ticket, for which they must go to court and pay a fine.”

The fine increases with every citation after that. For some teenagers, that’s not enough to scare them off.

Eighteen year-old Jack* has been gambling with friends at the Rio since he was 17. “There are a lot of people who do it,” he says. “At the Rio, you get somebody over 21 to get a bracelet for you to put on.”

The bracelet signifies that a person is over 21; therefore, an employee will not card him/her.

The Nevada Council on Problem Gambling says, “Teenage gambling is not a harmless activity ... teenage gambling addiction is two to three times higher than adults who gamble.”

While many teens gamble for fun, a problem can develop: the McGill Youth Gambling and Treatment Clinic says, “While 55 percent of adolescents are casual or recreational gamblers, 13 percent have some gambling-related problems, and four to six percent have a serious problem.”

A study has yet to be done on the problem locally. However, in 1994, The Las Vegas Review Journal reported a study in Louisiana that revealed 86 percent of 12,000 children in grades six through 12 had gambled on everything from informal card games and sports betting to the state-run lottery.

Many factors contribute to the fact that children are gambling.

In Las Vegas, one reason the R-J cited was that “their parents are often dealers, cocktail waitresses, pit bosses or somehow make a living from the casino industry, so they have grown up around gaming.”

In Las Vegas, underage gambling is a problem. “Because of the size of the city and the attraction of tourists, there’s almost always going to be a problem with underage gambling,” says Austin, who, in the course of his job duties, answered calls about minors gambling.

Along with underage gambling often comes underage drinking.

“Any time we have underage gambling, there’s almost always a parallel — drinking,” says Austin. “Normally in casinos, teens have a bartender friend who allows them to drink and gamble.”

If a gambling minor is found drinking, he is cited for that as well, which means more money to pay in fines.

“The fake I.D. is a problem,” says Austin, “because by virtue of the computer age, it is hard for law enforcement to determine whether they’re good.”

“You’ve got to look older,” according to Jack, who has used fake I.D.s in the past to gamble. “You just try not to get carded.”

But if the gambler is caught, he will face citations for using a fake I.D. as well.

Most illegal gamblers are found at the slot machines, but occasionally they do test the odds at a blackjack table or a game of that sort. Jack and his friends gamble at anything they can get their hands on at the Rio.

With the dangers associated with underage gambling, the question arises — how can it be stopped? Some believe education is the answer.

Locally, Harrah’s Casino sponsors The Project 21 Nevada Scholarship program, set up to “to encourage young people to educate their peers on the consequences of underage gambling.”

“Since 1994, the program has awarded over $80,000 in scholarship funds to Nevada students.

The Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, a nonprofit information and referral agency, operates to create awareness and provide options for people with gambling addictions. They will add a question on underage gambling to the next behavior survey completed by CCSD students.

*Name has been changed to protect privacy.