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In modern times, a lot of people tend to disregard the laws relating to legal gambling age. Whether it’s something as small as $1 scratch-off lottery tickets, or as potentially troublesome as using a fake ID to enter a casino, minors often look for ways to place wagers, whether they are old enough to gamble or not.
Time and again, I’ve seen parents give their children a dollar to load in the scratch-off lottery ticket machine at the local retail store. Despite it being illegal for a minor to use these machines, the employees don’t seem to care, so long as an adult is with them.
Many times, young teenagers have been caught swiping their parents credit card and using it to gamble online, playing poker, slot machines, blackjack, roulette, you name it.
While the majority of these people are well aware that they’re are not old enough to gamble, that’s not the case in all situations. Some people genuinely don’t know the gambling age limits, especially when traveling outside their native land.
Growing up in Quebec, Canada, for example, I learned early on that one must be 18 to be considered of legal gambling age. When I visited British Columbia at that age, I was surprised when Chances Casino in Prince Rupert told me to get out after checking my ID. Turns out, you must be 19 to gamble in BC. Who knew?
By the time you finish reading this, you will. We’ll go over the legal age to gamble in Canada’s 10 provinces, as well as some other major countries around the globe.
Canada is made up of 10 provinces, but not all of them allow gambling at the same age. The following is a list of all Canadian provinces, in alphabetical order, and the age at which people are considered old enough to gamble.
Canada Province | Legal Age to Gamble |
Alberta | 18 |
British Columbia | 19 |
Manitoba | 18 |
New Brunswick | 19 |
Newfoundland and Labrador | 19 |
Nova Scotia | 19 |
Ontario | 19 |
Prince Edward Island | 19 |
Quebec | 18 |
Saskatchewan | 19 |
Laws are a bit different in the United States, where the legal gambling age can vary by what type of wager one intends to place. For the purpose of this article, we’ll focus on gambling in a casino.
US State | Legal Age to Gamble in a Casino |
Alabama | 21 |
Alaska | 18 |
Arizona | 21 |
Arkansas | 21 |
California | 18 or 21, depending on the casino |
Colorado | 21 |
Connecticut | 21 |
Delaware | 21 |
Florida | 21 |
Georgia | 21 |
Hawaii | N/A, all gambling illegal |
Idaho | 18 |
Illinois | 21 |
Indiana | 21 |
Iowa | 21 |
Kansas | 21 |
Kentucky | 21, but no casinos here |
Louisiana | 21 |
Maine | 21 |
Maryland | 21 |
Massachusetts | 21 |
Michigan | 21 |
Minnesota | 18 |
Mississippi | 21 |
Missouri | 21 |
Montana | 21, but no casinos here |
Nebraska | 21 |
Nevada | 21 |
New Hampshire | 21 |
New Jersey | 21 |
New Mexico | 21 |
New York | 18 or 21, depending on the casino |
North Carolina | 21 |
North Dakota | 21 |
Ohio | 21 |
Oklahoma | 18 or 21, depending on the casino |
Oregon | 21 |
Pennsylvania | 21 |
Rhode Island | 18 |
South Carolina | 21 |
South Dakota | 21 |
Tennessee | N/A, casino gambling illegal |
Texas | 21 |
Utah | N/A, all gambling illegal |
Vermont | N/A, casino gambling illegal |
Virginia | N/A, casino gambling illegal |
Washington | 18 or 21, depending on the casino |
West Virginia | 21 |
Wisconsin | 21 |
Wyoming | 18 |
Last but not least, we’ll observe age restrictions in other major countries.
Country | Legal Age to Gamble |
Australia | 18 |
Belgium | 21 |
Bulgaria | 18 |
Denmark | 18 |
England | 18 |
Finland | 18 |
France | 18 |
Germany | 18 |
Greece | 23 |
Ireland | 18 |
Macau (China) | 18 for tourists, 21 for Chinese locals |
New Zealand | 20 |
Portugal | 18 for tourists, 21 for locals |
Scotland | 18 |
Spain | 19 |
Royal Vegas, the leading Canadian gaming brand, are really going out of their way this month and offering a very lucrative offer to prospective players. Details inside.
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What the legal gambling age is depends on the state in which you live. Based on the powers of the states, each state's rights, and the lawmakers utilizing these rights, these ages can vary. the variance comes into play with different forms of gambling, different states, and, in the case of online gambling, the age requirement offered by a gambling site. While this may seem complicated with so much information to keep track of, this is not exactly the case - age requirements in gambling are very easy to comprehend, provided you know where to look.
Unfortunately, not every single state has actually listed the age requirement for gambling in their code of laws. It is further complicated by the fact that some states allow smaller jurisdictions, such as counties and cities, to establish their own legal ages. For the most part, we are only going to worry about each state's individual rules, as well as the rules of the different gambling sites in question. We have looked into this issue on a state by state basis, and we are going to tell you flat out that the age restriction for legal online gambling in the USA is fixed at two numbers - 18 and 21.
CHECK HERE FOR A LIST OF GAMBLING SITES THAT ACCEPT USA PLAYERS
USA Sportsbooks - USA Casinos - USA Poker Sites
What's The Legal Gambling Age??? | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama - 21 | Hawaii - 21 | Massachusetts - 21 | New Mexico - 21 | South Dakota - 21 |
Alaska - 18 | Idaho - 18 | Michigan - 21 | New York - 18 | Tennessee - 21 |
Arizona - 21 | Illinois - 21 | Minnesota - 18 | North Carolina - 18 | Texas - 21 |
Arknsas - 21 | Indiana - 21 | Mississippi - 21 | North Dakota - 21 | Utah - 21 |
California - 21 | Iowa - 21 | Missouri - 21 | Ohio - 21 | Vermont - 18 |
Colorado - 21 | Kansas - 18 | Montana - 21 | Oklahoma - 18 | Virginia - 21 |
Connecticut - 21 | Kentucky - 21 | Nebraska - 21 | Oregon - 21 | Washington - 18 |
Delaware - 21 | Louisiana - 21 | Nevada - 21 | Pennsylvania - 21 | West Virginia - 21 |
Florida - 21 | Maine - 18 | New Hampshire - 21 | Rhode Island - 18 | Wisconsin - 21 |
Georgia - 21 | Maryland - 21 | New Jersey - 21 | South Carolina - 18 | Wyoming - 18 |
Do Gambling Ages Differ Between Sites And States?
Barring a few exceptions, you will have to be 21 in order to legally gamble. This is the case in nearly every single state. Some states allow 18 year olds to gamble. Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming all have gambling ages of 18.
Every other state in the Union has fixed their gambling age at 21, and you cannot get around this in any way. If you attempt to do so you are aiming at serious trouble, including fines, having your money confiscated, and possibly arrest, though the latter is not likely.
There is one point of confusion that is universal in online gambling. This lies between the age required by your gambling site and the gambling age required by your state. In some cases, one will allow gamblers to begin at a younger age than the other. In the event that these ages differ from one another, you have to go with the gambling age that is higher.
For instance - your casino allows 18 year olds, but your state requires you to be 21. That means you cannot join unless you are 21, as per your state's regulations. On the other hand, if your state will allow 18 year olds but that particular gambling site requires you to be 21, you will have to be 21 - regardless of your state's requirements. This is the only real point of confusion, and it can be easily bypassed.
Age Requirement For Online Gambling Sites
As you will come to find, there are gambling age restrictions at the gambling sites you visit. These gambling ages requirements will be stipulated in the terms and condtions section of the site, or some variation of the rules of the site. These requirements are very important, and strictly enforced by the sites themselves.
One thing we can tell you not to do is attempt to gamble underage - be it online or in a brick and mortar venue. Even if you can enter the website or join up with pme, you will ultimately be going down a path you cannot finish walking. If you join a gambling site that you are not old enough to play with, be aware that they are fully entitled to confiscate your money.
No one likes losing, and losing without even having a chance to win is never fun. We have compiled the legal gambling ages in every state, so we recommend you take a look at these before you start to gamble.
It's best consult your local laws to find out the gambling age after you have checked with, and at least are old enough to gamble at the online casino or sportsbook you have chosen. If you meet the online gambling site but not the state, you are still not 'legally' allowed to wager regardless of where it operates. Getting caught illegally gambling online is not something that you want to have happen, as you will be stripped of accounts, money, and perhaps more.
We do not condone underage gambling and encourage all players to get informed. The age of gambling legally online is still a debated issue, with many states in the U.S. requiring bettors to be at least 21 years old. We do not foresee that changing in the near future though, if at all.
Find the legal gambling age for every state here.