A kerfuffle erupted over the weekend over a contested plan to “reconsider” − which means revote − a defeated bill sought by the Rhode Island State Police to criminalize iGaming by anyone under the age of 21.
The bill was defeated 7-5 by the House Judiciary Committee on April 22 amid concerns that 18- to 20-year-olds allowed to gamble in person in Rhode Island casinos might end up with a criminal record for doing the same on their phones – without even knowing they were breaking the law.
Those same concerns were raised by the ACLU of Rhode Island and the public defender’s office at an earlier hearing on the legislation and echoed by Rep. Cherie Cruz and others ahead of the House Judiciary Committee vote to reject the bill.
