Blog How Old Do You Have To Be To Gamble?

How Old Do You Have To Be To Gamble?

How Old Do You Have To Be To Gamble?

Do you want to start gambling but don’t know whether it’s legal in your country or not? Certain activities can have an age restriction, such as playing video games, drinking alcohol, or buying tobacco. Regarding gambling, the most common age limit is 18 years. In case you’re wondering how old do you have to be to gamble or place bets, in this article, I’ll point out age restrictions for many places, so stay tuned.

In the following sections, I’ll go over age restrictions related to gambling and sports betting around the world.

The United States

In most states, the gambling age in the USA is 18, but there are some exceptions.

StatesCasino GamesSports Betting
Alabama21/
Alaska21/
Arizona2121
Arkansas2121
California18/
Colorado2121
Connecticut2121
Delaware2121
Florida2118
Georgia18 (cruises only)/
Hawaii21/
Idaho18/
Illinois2121
Indiana2121
Iowa2121
Kansas21/
Kentucky//
Louisiana2121
Maine21/
Maryland2121
Massachusetts2118
Michigan18/2118
Minnesota1818
Mississippi2118
Missouri2118
Montana1818
Nebraska2118
Nevada2121
New Hampshire2121
New Jersey2118
New Mexico2118
New York2118
North Carolina2121
North Dakota2121
Ohio21/
Oklahoma18/
Oregon2121
Pennsylvania2121
Rhode Island2121
South Dakota18 at Indian Casinos21
South Carolina21 (cruises only)/
Tennessee/21
Texas2121
Utah21/
Vermont21/
Virginia2121
Washington1821
West Virginia2121
Wisconsin2121
Wyoming2118

Europe

The minimum age to gamble in Europe varies. In some places, the legal age to gamble is 21, while in others, it might be 20 or 18. Take a look below to find out how old do you have to be to bet and play casino games in Europe. For the UK,

European CountriesCasino GamesSports Betting
Albania1818
Austria1818
Andorra//
Belarus2121
Belgium2121
Bosnia and Herzegovina//
Bulgaria1818
Croatia1818
Czech Republic1818
Denmark18/
Estonia2121
Faroe Islands1818
Finland1818
France1818
Germany1818
Gibraltar1818
Greece2323
Guernsey1818
Hungry1818
Iceland1818
Ireland1818
Isle of Man1818
Italy1818
Kosovo1818
Latvia1818
Liechtenstein1818
Luxembourg1818
Malta18 (25 for Maltese citizens)18 (25 for Maltese citizens)
Moldova1818
Monaco1818
Montenegro1818
Netherlands1818
North Macedonia1818
Norway1818
Poland1818
Portugal18 or 25 (depends on the casino)18 or 25 (depends on the casino)
Romania1818
San Marino1818
Serbia1818
Slovakia1818
Slovenia1818
Spain1818
Sweden1818
Switzerland1818
Turkey1818
Ukraine1818
United Kingdom1818
Vatican City//

Asia

Overall, there’s no doubt that Asia is one of the best places in the world to gamble. But what is the legal age to gamble there? In most Asian countries, you have to be between the ages of 18 and 21.

Countries in AsiaCasino GamesSports Betting
Akrotiri and Dhekelia1818
AfghanistanIllegalIllegal
Armenia2121
Azerbaijan1818
BahrainIllegalIllegal
Bangladesh//
British Indian Ocean Territory1818
Brunei DarussalamIllegalIllegal
Cambodia//
ChinaIllegal(except for lotteries)Illegal
Christmas Island1818
Cocos (Keeling) Islands1818
Cyprus1818
Georgia1818
Hong Kong1818
IranIllegalIllegal
India2121
IndonesiaIllegalIllegal
Israel1818
Japan2020
Kyrgyzstan1818
Laos1818
Lebanon2121
Macau2121
Malaysia2121
MaldivesIllegalIllegal
Mongolia//
Myanmar1818
PakistanIllegal1Illegal
Philippines2118
QatarIllegalIllegal
Russia1818
Saudi ArabiaIllegalIllegal
Singapore2118
South Korea1919
SyriaIllegalIllegal
Tajikistan1818
ThailandIllegalIllegal
Turkey1818
UAEIllegalIllegal
Vietnam2121

Canada

Usually, the minimum age for gambling in Canada is 19 years old. However, like with most other countries around the world, it can vary geographically. Here are the exceptions:

  • Quebec — 18
  • Manitoba — 18
  • Alberta — 18

Latin America

The iGaming business has a lot to look forward to in Latin America. There’s stable growth, and more of it will come. South America is made up of 12 independent countries, each with its own laws about gambling. The legal gambling age is 18 years old.

Oceania

When it comes to Oceania, the usual gambling age is 18 years old. The only current exception is 20 for casinos in New Zealand.

  • There’s no known legal age in Papua New Guinea.
  • In the Federated States of Micronesia, it’s dependent on state law.
  • It’s illegal in the Marshall Islands and Tokelau.

Africa

In Africa, the gambling age is usually 18 or 21, except for Nigeria, where the age limit is 20.

  • It’s illegal in Algeria, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Libya, Mauritania,
    Somalia, and Sudan.
  • There’s no known gambling age for Tunisia, South Sudan, Guinea-Bissau,
    Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea.

FAQ

The legal age when you start being considered an adult differs from country to country, which is probably the main reason.

In the US, the winnings will be taken away, and it’s not likely that something else’s going to happen. Though, if someone continuously goes to casinos underage will face some consequences. Also, the operators who let you in can face harsher punishments sometimes.

It usually is, but there are countries where the age limit differs between the two.

No, there’s no connection. You need to be 18 years old or above, and you can take advantage of the bonuses just like everyone else.

Do you want to start gambling but don’t know whether it’s legal in your country or not? Certain activities can have an age restriction, such as playing video games, drinking alcohol, or buying tobacco. Regarding gambling, the most common age limit is 18 years. In case you’re wondering how old do you have to be to gamble or place bets, in this article, I’ll point out age restrictions for many places, so stay tuned.

In the following sections, I’ll go over age restrictions related to gambling and sports betting around the world.

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