?? Legal Gambling Age: How Old Do You Have to be to Gamble in the United States?

States in the US follow their own laws and regulations for licensed gambling. There is not one federally-approved gambling age for all of 50 US states. The legal gambling age varies across states and also depends on the type of gambling activity.

There are also tribal casinos and gambling operations which operate under Federal Indian Gaming Regulations and state compacts. These regulations ensure that they have the freedom to define gambling age. Many tribal casinos offer the lowest gambling age in the US at 18 years. For most of US, the legal gambling age is 18-21 years and the answer could vary depending on the state and gambling activity (lottery, online betting, iGaming casinos, and so on).

BonusFinder’s gambling guide experts bring you all the details you need to know about the minimum gambling age requirements in the US. We also provide you a state-by-state analysis of gambling laws restricting underage gambling. Find out the answers to ‘how old to gamble’, ‘lottery age by state’ questions above in the table.

?? How Old Do You Have to be to Gamble At a Casino?

You have to check the gambling rules of each state and casino for the answer as there is no federal gambling age universally applied to all the states. For an online casino use in the regulated casino game states (such as Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey) the age limit is 21 years.

All online casinos and gambling operators verify your account with personal identity documents (such as your driving license, passport, military ID, permanant US residence card, bank account statement of last 3 months, utility bill of last 3 months, IRS tax notification, home loan statement) and Social Security Number before admitting someone as a customer on the site. Players cannot make a deposit until the account is verified whcih means that an individual’s registration details that includes Name, DOB, SSN and address is checked before she or he is allowed to deposit or participate in real money games.

Online sportsbooks in the US also require players to be 21 years old when they register a new account. Gambling age differ for online betting and casinos compared to brick-and-mortar casinos.

Casino Age Limit: Can You Visit a Casino at Age 18?

Here are the states with casinos that are valid for 18 year olds:

• Michigan: At Indian casinos, the the minimum gambling is 18, but it is s 21 at Detroit’s commercial casinos.
• Minnesota: 18 but limited game selections.
• Montana: Access to tribal casinos is for 18+ in Montana.
• Oklahoma: Oklahoma’s tribal casinos are 18+.
• Washington: Washington’s tribal casinos are for adults aged 18.
• California: At some CA card rooms and tribal casinos the legal age is 18.
• Florida: 18 for tribal casinos’ poker and bingo but 21 for casino games.
• Georgia: No physical land-based casino sites; 18 for offshore gambling cruises.
• Idaho: 18 for most Idaho casinos; there are properties that have a 21+ age eligibility.
• Wyoming: Tribal casinos are 18+ in Wyoming.

Can You Create an Account at an Online Casino at Age 18?

No. Legal gambling age requirement at licensed online casinos in different US states is 21. Online sportsbook operations in different US states also stipulate 21 years as the gambling age requirement.

Any online casino site admitting 18 year olds is an offshore casino not licensed for gaming in any US state. Please check the casino licensing before creating an account at any such offshore sites. Your account is subject to KYC Verification at casino sites.

Can I Gamble in a Nevada Casino if I am 18?

No, you will not be allowed due to the casino age limit requirement. A person must be at least 21 years old to gamble at a Tribal casino in Nevada. NV gambling is unlikely to see support for 18+ gambling because it is a complicated issue involving alcoholism and problem gambling. Also, Nevada has no laws or regulations requiring casino businesses to have self-exclusion programs for responsible gambling.

Tribal casinos can serve complimentary alcohol and smoking is also permitted in the property. The state has active tribal-state gaming compacts with four tribes. These tribes have the exclusive right to regulate Class III gaming on tribal reservations.

What is the Social Casino Age Requirement?

Sweepstakes and social casinos require users to be 18 year old. Social gaming based on sweepstakes laws in the US follow sweepstake promotion laws in different states. There are states which do not allow any sweepstakes casino gaming: namely, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, and Michigan. Sweepstakes laws and social casinos are a newly evolving gaming category in the US and much of it remains a gray area. Check the local laws before playing.

Sweepstakes gaming at social casinos is free but age limit is enforced through account verification process with identity documents.

• High 5 Casino: 18
• McLuck Casino: 18
• Wow Vegas: 18
• Pulsz: 18

?? Can Online Casinos Have Different Gambling Age Requirements?

Online casinos such as BetMGM, Caesars Palace, or FanDuel operate under a licensing regime which varies from state to state. The online gambling laws provide for age requirements and other mandates. Online casinos have to follow the rules set by the laws. They cannot create their own rules. For exmaple, all these top online casinos in the US require patrons to be 21 years old when they register a new account. This table below gives the age limit at licensed top online casinos in the USA.

• BetMGM Online Casino: 21
• Caesars Palace Online Casino: 21
• Fanatics Online Casino: 21
• BetRivers Casino: 21
• FanDuel Casino: 21
• Pokerstars Casino: 21
• Golden Nugget Casino: 21
• DraftKings Casino: 21
• Play Gun Lake: 21
• Play Eagle Online Casino: 21
• Sports Illustrated Casino: 21
• Hollywood Online Casino: 21

? How Old to Gamble?

How old you need to be to gamble? The answer depends on the state you are in.

How Old to Gamble in PA

21 years for online casinos and sportsbooks; 18 years for lottery, horse betting.

Gambling Age in NJ

21 years for online casinos and online betting; 18 for bingo, lottery, racing.

Gambling Age in Vegas

21 years or older as per the legal code of Nevada and Nevada Gaming Control Board.’21 to bet’.

Illinois Gambling Age

21 years for online gambling, 18 for bingo and lottery.

Indiana Gambling Age

21 for mobile sports betting, 18 for lottery.

? Lottery Age by State

Minimum age requirement in most states is 18 years for lottering gaming. Lotteries such as the Mega Millions & Powerball are very common in the US. There are only a few states disallowing lotteries or scratch-offs.

The state of Nebraska’s legal age for lottery games is 19. You must be 21 or older in AZ, IA, Louisiana and Mississippi for buying lotteries. Age requirements remain unchanged even if the state allow online lottery purchase and play.

? Gambling Age for Horse Racing

Horse racing employs pari-mutuel wagering. The parimutuel betting system or pool betting puts all bets of a particular type together in a pool. Then taxes and the house commission are deducted from it and payout odds are calculated by diving the pool among all winning bets. The odds and corresponding payouts can change up to the time a race starts. The parimutuel system is used in betting on horse racing, greyhound racing, jai alai, and some other events of relatively short duration in which the paricipants finish in a ranked order.

As a result, horse race betting is subject to different laws in different states. Broadly speaking, horse race betting age limit is 18 years. It can be for in person or at off-track betting facilities or via online racing platforms like TwinSpires or FanDuel Racing.

A few states have the minimum gamlbing age limit for parimutuels a bit higher. If you are in Arizona, Iowa, Nevada or Texas, you will require to be 21 or above.

? Comparison: How Old Do You Have to Be to Legally Gamble in Other Countries?

Not all the countries are the same when it comes to official gambling age. Also, there can be different age requirements for visitors and citizens or locals.

• China: Gambling in mainland China is illegal since the Communist Party took reigns of the country way back in 1947. Hong Kong and Macau are known are global legal gambling destinations. If you are from Macau, you must be 21 years old. If you are visiting, you can be 18 years old!
• United Kingdom: 18 years old; 16 years for lotteries and soccer pools.
• Japan: The minimum age is 20. Gambling itself is not legal except for racing horses and autos.
• Brazil: Illegal since 1948; some exceptions are horseracing on tracks.
• India: 21; different states have different provincial laws. Only two states have legal online gambling.
• Canada: Blanket permission to gamble for those 19 or older. The same goes for sweepstakes casinos.
• New Zealand: 20
• Australia: 18; live betting and online casinos are illegal.
• Russia: 18; online gambling is not legal.
• Europe: Mostly 18, exception are there. For Belgium, Germany, Greece and Lithuania, the legal age is 21. In Denmark and Estonia, it’s only 16 years! Spain and France: 18. Portugal: 18 for tourists, 21 for locals!

?? Who Regulates the Gambling Industry and Prevents Underage Gambling in the US?

State gambling authorities license and regulate online casinos, physical casinos, sports betting, and other gambling activities. There are also age requirements to hold a gaming license, become a vendor, or an employee of a casino property.

Each state in the US has its own set of laws to prohibit or regulate gambling industry. Usually a Gaming Control Board, a Lottery Commission, or a Racing Commission oversees the real money gambling in the state. The federal government allows the states to exercise control as gambling laws are state responsibilities. At the same time, many forms of illegal gaming constitute federal crimes.

Some US gambing regulatory agencies in different states are:

• Arizona Department of Gaming
• Arkansas Racing Commission
• California Gambling Control Commission
• California Lottery Commission
• Colorado Division of Gaming
• Colorado Lottery
• Connecticut Lottery
• Delaware Gaming Control Board
• Florida Lottery
• Idaho State Racing Commission
• Illinois Racing Board
• Indiana Gaming Commission
• Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission
• Kentucky Department of Charitable Gaming
• Kentucky Lottery
• Maryland Racing Commission
• Michigan Gaming Control Board
• Minnesota Racing Commission
• Minnesota State Lottery
• The Mississippi Gaming Commission
• National Indian Gaming Commission
• Nebraska Lottery
• Nevada Gaming Commission and Gaming Control Board
• New Hampshire Lottery
• NJCasino Control Commission
• New Jersey Lottery
• New Mexico Gaming Control Board
• New York Gaming Commission (NYS)
• Ohio Casino Control Commission
• Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission
• Oregon Racing Commission
• South Dakota Commission on Gaming
• Texas Lottery Commission (Lottery)
• Virginia Charitable Gaming Commission
• Virginia Lottery
• Washington State Lottery
• West Virginia Lottery

Who Hands Outs Punitive Actions if Minors Are Allowed in Gambling Activities?

The regulatory bodies mandated with reponsible gambling and licensing stop and punish underage gambling activities by putting the onus on license holders.

For example, as per the annual report 2022 of the Michigan Gambling Control Board (MGCB), a violation at the premises of MotorCity Casino-Hotel (Deteroit Entertainment) was fined with $2,500 for accepting an underage ID. The licensed opeartor also received a warning a warning letter for that offense which happened on March 12, 2021.

MGCB and state laws also mandate that Detroit commercial casino licensee conduct an annual study on minors and compulsive gaming. The MGCB has to release information about minors on casino premises, which each licensee must compile as part of the annual study. The following image about minors trying to gain access in casinos is from the 2022 annual report. Over 13,000 minors were stopped from entering the casinos as underage gambling is not allowed.

In the state of Nevada, the Nevada Gaming Commission has foreited jackpot wins (over a million) to underage gamblers. Players may require to produce a a valid ID and Social Security card for federal tax purposes on jackpots of a certain sum and above.

How to Report Underage Gambling Activity

There is a portal to report suspicious gambling or underage gambling activity on regulator websites. For example, Michiganders and others can report an illegal gambling activity at this link.

Michigan anonymous tip helpline number is 1-888-314-2682 and email address is [email protected] if anyone wants to report irresponsible marketing or underage gaming. Anybody can contact the authorities in different states to enforce responsible gambling codes. One can also report a violation on the website of the National Indian Gaming Commission.