As said before, the idea that people are not able to spend their money on gambling as they so freely choose, whether it be in casinos or sports betting apps is, bluntly put, counterproductive. Massachusetts itself has not legalized sports betting yet, but when the state decides to, the legal age will indeed be 21. In the United States, most states have set the legal age for sports betting at 21, with some exceptions being the age of 18 in four different states, one of which is the Commonwealth’s neighbor, New Hampshire. It does not just stop at gambling in casino games the same goes for sports betting, too. The idea that people are allowed to serve as an active service member in their first year of adulthood, or that college students can pursue an education that would leave them in boatloads of debt for the foreseeable future, but are not allowed to gamble on games that many have played since their childhood-blackjack and solitaire specifically-in order to win money, makes it seem more inane than rational. Of course, this does not only apply to active service members, but rather to all young adults, college students especially. One of the more bothersome aspects of this is the thought that people who are fresh out of high school at the age of 18 have the ability to fight overseas and have to adapt to home life after serving for multiple years in the military and witnessing the horrors of war in the process, but are prohibited to freely spend their money as they choose in the hopes of obtaining more until they are 21 years old. Other states, such as Arizona, Louisiana and Iowa, have an increased age for the legal purchase of a ticket at 21, which happens to be the same age to legally gamble and bet on sports in 41 of 50 states. Not only that, but people would go to battle at the age of 17, including some who would go at their own and their family’s discretion, which is mind boggling to say, and is the age equivalent of some high school juniors and most high school seniors.Ĭontrary to going out and risking their lives on the battlefield, these same people-barring the fact that some may be 17 and enlisted while still in high school-are able to go to any local convenience store, gas station, supermarket or restaurant and purchase a lottery ticket in most states.

While witnessing the war in Ukraine in disbelief right now, one can only imagine that, as in years past, if heaven forbid the war were to escalate at an even worse rate than it is already at, people would be going to war at the age of 18 in the United States and across the world.

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