There are legal ways in which players in the United States are able to gamble online without having to worry about breaking online gambling laws. However, there is one facet of the law that is not flexible across the country in all phases of online gambling. That would be the legal gambling age for players.

Unlike some of the big laws out there in the U.S. for gambling and online gambling, legal gambling ages are decided at the state level. As a result, different states will have different ages to gamble. This can even go so far as to say that players need to be a certain age to bet sports, and another age to walk into an online casino.

The minimum age to bet in the states where gambling is legal is definitely the determining factor when placing a wager in-person. Failure to meet this age when betting in-person would likely result in a fine or warning for the first offense. 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.

The most important thing to know about legal gambling ages in the U.S. is that they vary. We have all of the online gambling ages for U.S. residents here on this site, for which you can use as a resource when gambling with online casinos, poker rooms or sites that take bets on sports.

State Gambling Age Chart

Penalty For Not Being Old Enough To Gamble Online

Those who are found to be violating the gambling age laws at the site or in their state will be subject to penalties under the laws. This can include the loss of all previous and prospective wager in an account, as well as fines, and other possible sanctions. Jail time is highly unlikely in a case like that. In fact, rarely do online gamblers go to jail for placing underage bets, but it could potentially happen depending on the individual case.

Providing that you follow the guidelines by your state and the online gambling site, there will be no problems that a USA player will run into as far as the legality of gambling online at a website which allows players from the U.S.

How Old Do I Have To Be To Play Casino Games For Money?

Online casinos will have an age requirement that players must adhere to legally play at the site for real cash. This isn't just the age needed to be able to place the bet, this will be the age that a player must meet in order to create an account. For players in the United States, this can sometimes be taken one step further. In the case of gambling age in the U.S., it is decided by the states, and it's not the same in all 50. As a result, a player might be of age to play at an online casino, but not of age to be playing any game of chance for real money within their state. In most instances, this means that the player will still need to be of age to gamble in their state, despite the fact that the offshore site requires the player to be a lower age.

Most online casinos that take U.S. players require an account holder to be at least 18 years old. For those living in states with the gambling age of 21, it's important to know whether the site still allows for it, or if players must meet their state's age.

How Old Do I Have To Be To Play Casino Games For Free?

In order to be able to play casino games for free, you simply need to meet the age requirement to create an account at whatever casino you'd like to sample. In most cases, this age is just 18 years old.

This age differs from the normal gambling age because casinos that accept USA players typically default to the higher age between the legal gambling age in your state, or the age to join their site. But, since you will not be risking or gambling real funds, you don't need to meet the gambling age requirement, just the age requirement established by the casino you're planning to try.

Where To Gamble Online

Another issue at hand will be the legal gambling age to place a wager on the site for which you are wanting to. This could be a sportsbook, an online casino, or a legal poker site. No matter what type of an online gambling website you are visiting, it will have the minimum age a player must be in order to sign up and place legal wagers.

There is a catch here though. That is that just because a player might meet the age requirements that have been stipulated by the online gambling site itself, it does not necessarily mean that they are free to legally gamble online.

Why is this? Simply because the gambling age in a player's state might have a higher number. For example, if a player signs up at a sportsbook at age 19, where the legal betting age is 18 at the sportsbook but the state in which he/she lives in is 21, he/she can still not gamble legally because he/she cannot do so in his/her state.

Underage Gambling Disclaimer... Not Just Because We Had To

We take underage gambling, whether it be online or in-person, very seriously and we strongly discourage it. If you are thinking about grabbing mom or dad's credit card, DON'T DO IT! You'll be exposed and while you aren't going to go to jail, your parents are going to be pissed.

If by some chance you do make a deposit and don't get in trouble, know that you're never going to be able to cash that money out until you provide indentification and proof of age which would then sink your ship. You're better off waiting until you are at least 18 years old to gamble online, or anywhere else, than jumping in before your time.

To gamble responsibly, a gambler must bear in mind the law.

After all, this isn’t the Wild West.

Most jurisdictions mandate that gambling age is a minimum age that a player can legally gamble. This age varies contingent on the specific state’s laws.

Of course, some areas don’t have casinos for you to sit down for a game of blackjack or roulette. Yet, almost every state offers residents some way to play the lottery.

Legal gambling ages also vary around the world. As you may have guessed, there are some countries where gambling is a big no-no regardless of how many trips you’ve made around the sun.

The Gambling Age for Online Casinos vs Land-Based Casinos

Usually, the minimum legal gambling age starts at 18 years old. Don’t rush out the door just yet, though, youngsters.

Depending on circumstances and state requirements by a gambling commission or applicable laws, these can vary.

What category of gambling a game falls under can also play a determining role in what constitutes a legal age. When you make such distinctions of ages and types of markets, you sometimes see a range of legal gambling ages for each.

As far as casinos go, there’s typically a clear distinction between the rules regarding real money online casinos and traditional brick and mortar casinos. Regardless of your gambling endeavor, it’s imperative that you adhere to any guidelines put down for legal gambling ages.

Failing to follow the laws about gambling ages is a double-edged sword.

First, you’ll lose whatever money you are wagering.

Secondly, you’re going to have some legal troubles.

Neither of which is pleasant. In fact, they both sound horrible.

The above holds true for any form of gambling, but it’s particularly applicable in casino gambling.

Usually, online casinos will warn you upon entering whether a site is restricted in your area.

Luckily, the rules for land-based casinos are much more transparent. In the United States. The legal gambling age is set state by state. You should keep in mind that different laws apply to tribal casinos and they may have different requirements.

Even types of games like slots and video game machines may have totally different legal gambling ages associated with them.

Besides the numerous rule differences between Indian casinos and those under state or federal jurisdiction, there’s another category of different laws.

Casinos on cruise ships and gambling boats have a whole other set of laws to abide to. Most of the time on a cruise ship, the legal gambling age is 18 years old. That’s a full 3 years younger than most United States land-based casinos.

So, essentially you’re going to have to be at least 18 years old to legally gamble in the United States. Most casinos in the country are going to require that you’re 21 to enter. Of course, they’d prefer to have you in as early as possible.

Oh, Canada – What Kind of Age Requirements Do You Have?

Our cousin to the great north is pretty similar to us when it comes to legal gambling age. Just like the United States, they have their own grey areas.

Online gambling in Canada is regulated on a federal level. There are many online casinos you can sign up for, too.

Any of the casinos in Canada, brick and mortar or online, are required to obtain a government license before opening the doors.

If you’re headed to Manitoba, Alberta, or Quebec you can get in the doors of any casino at 18 years old. Oddly, anywhere else in the country you must be 19 years old.

This follows the same guidelines for drinking. Where the legal age in Manitoba, Alberta and Quebec is 18 and the rest of the country imposes a legal drinking age of 19.

Gambling Ages for Europe

Most European nations have a uniform legal gambling age. Yet, there can be slight variations country to country.

In terms of betting many countries set the legal gambling age at 18 years old. This mirrors the legal gambling ages for lotteries.

Two exceptions being Estonia and Denmark where the gambling age is a mere 16 years old.

Countries like Spain and France have recently lowered the legal gambling ages to fall in line with neighboring countries.

Strangely, a few countries have different restrictions. For example, Portugal allows visitors to the country to gamble at 18, while citizens of Portugal must be 21 to gamble.

Malta has a unique situation of their own. Let me be clear, Malta has one of the most outstanding gambling licenses on the planet, provided by the Malta Gaming Authority. In fact, Malta is a hub for many online casinos.

But the legal gambling age in Malta is 18 for tourists. The Maltese residents must be over the age of 25.

Gambling Age in the UK

The Gambling Commission handles and regulates all gambling in the UK. Everything from the licenses to the vast gambling forms is handled by the GC. The UK has a uniform legal gambling age of 18. This age requirement applies to all bingo halls, casinos, betting shops, racetracks and online gambling. This includes online UK casinos.

The minimum age for lotteries including football (soccer) pools and the National Lottery is only 16 years old. The 16 year old requirement also applies to games like coin pushers, claw grabbers and some low stakes gambling machines.

Oceania – Australia and New Zealand

Australia and New Zealand have a multitude of differences between them. Australia has strict gambling laws.

18 years old is technically the legal gambling age, but not all forms of gambling are legal. The only gambling you’re going to enjoy down under is sports betting or lotteries. There are no online casinos or live betting here.

Of course, many of our Aussie mates have found a loophole. You see, there aren’t any laws prohibiting Aussie citizens from taking advantage of overseas online gambling casinos. So, many Australians simply login to their favorite casino and pass the hours playing real money blackjack with their European friends.

Legal Gambling Age Las Vegas

What a time to be alive.

New Zealand has a minimum gambling age of 20 years old. They also have more direct rules about online gambling. Residents of New Zealand are allowed under the current laws to access online casinos from overseas. Yet, if you own one of these companies you are strictly prohibited from advertising your services in New Zealand.

So, it’s similar to the tobacco companies in the United States. Sure, you can buy their product. They can definitely sell their product. However, you won’t see any tobacco commercials on tv or hear them on the radio.

Gambling Age in India

India’s gambling laws are similar to those in the United States. The different Indian states have their own laws and regulations concerning gambling and gambling ages.

Basically, if you’re over 21 years old, gambling is legal.

Online gambling has been legalized in 2 states in India — one is Sikkim, and the other is Nagaland. This really doesn’t matter though, because residents of India don’t have any laws expressly banning their play on online casinos that are offshore.

Legal Gambling Age

So, again with the savvy gamblers finding loopholes to get in their gaming fix.

Conclusion

Let’s face it.

That’s a lot of information, and it can be overwhelming if you try to process it all.

The important aspect is to look at the gambling ages in all of the casinos of the world.

If you are itching to get in the casinos or can’t wait to introduce your son or daughter to the wondrous world of casinos, it’s in your best interest to just check the local laws before you go.

Legal Gambling Age In Texas

These days, laws are constantly being changed to fit the times, and what is the case today, may well be different in 6 months.