Table of Contents
ToggleIn this article, you will learn How Old Do You Have To Be To Gamble.
We will cover:
- Gambling Age Requirements Overview
- Minimum legal sports betting age varies by state.
- Online Casino Age Requirements
- Retail Casino Age Requirements
- Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS)
- Horse racing available both online and in person.
- The legal age to play Mega Millions and Powerball lottery games is…
How Old Do You Have To Be To Gamble?
The legal gambling age in the U.S. varies based on the jurisdiction and the type of gambling.
The legal age for sports betting and other casino gambling is typically 21, while activities such as the lottery, daily fantasy sports, and horse betting are commonly allowed at 18.
Nevertheless, there are numerous exceptions.
States have the authority to regulate various forms of gambling within their borders, resulting in a range of state laws governing the legal gambling age.
Legal gambling in the U.S. has significantly expanded since 2018, with over three dozen jurisdictions permitting some form of sports betting, including 29 states allowing online sports betting. Prior to 2018, single-game sports wagering was only legal in Nevada.
In most legal markets, online gambling formats involving real money typically require bettors to be 21 in sports betting and online casino gambling. Other formats, like horse betting, lottery, and DFS, often have age restrictions under 20.
The legal age for gambling in retail establishments varies depending on the jurisdiction. Commercial casinos such as those in Las Vegas typically require patrons to be 21 or older, while other retail casinos, often operated by Native American tribes, may allow individuals 18 and older.
Gambling is not permitted for individuals under the legal age.
The legal age for online betting sites is typically 21, with some exceptions.
Here is a list of states where online sports betting is legal, along with the corresponding legal age requirement.
- Arizona: 21
- Arkansas: 21
- Colorado: 21
- Connecticut: 21
- Delaware: 21
- Florida: 21
- Illinois: 21
- Indiana: 21
- Iowa: 21
- Kansas: 21
- Kentucky: 18
- Louisiana: 21
- Maine: 21
- Maryland: 21
- Massachusetts: 21
- Michigan: 21
- Nevada: 21
- New Hampshire: 18
- New Jersey: 21
- New York: 21
- Ohio: 21
- Oregon: 21
- Pennsylvania: 21
- Rhode Island: 18
- Tennessee: 21
- Vermont: 21
- Virginia: 21
- Washington, D.C.: 18
- West Virginia: 21
- Wyoming: 18
In order to place sports bets, you must meet the age requirement and be physically located within a state’s borders. Residence in the state is not necessary to place a wager.
Sportsbooks in states that allow 18+ gambling can establish their own minimum age requirement. FanDuel, however, maintains a consistent minimum age of 21 across all markets.
Methods used by online sportsbooks to verify age information.
Visitors are required to present an ID for entry at retail casinos, whereas online platforms have different verification processes.
When signing up for an online betting site or casino, personal information is required to verify age. This includes providing first and last name, email, date of birth, social security number, and a photo ID. Operators use this information for confirmation purposes.
- One’s identity is determined by their own words.
- You meet the age requirements to gamble in this jurisdiction.
- Please do not create multiple player accounts.
The identity verification process for online sports betting typically only takes a few minutes and can be done remotely in most states. However, Nevada requires individuals to register in person at a casino before placing online sports bets.
Six states currently have regulations in place for online casino gambling, including games such as blackjack and slots. These states are Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
On the other hand, Nevada permits online poker.
All six online casino states have age verification processes in place that require customers to be 21 or older to play, which is similar to the process for sports betting.
When using an online casino operated by a company that also provides a sportsbook, you can usually access both forms of betting with one account. Signing up once will allow you to engage in sports betting and online casino games.
Online Poker
Peer-to-peer online poker is legal in six states – Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The minimum age to play online poker in these states is 21.
PokerStars and WSOP.com, the most popular regulated poker sites in the U.S., require players to be at least 21 years old. In contrast, illegal offshore poker sites allow players as young as 18. Limitless Casino is also a popular option.
Connecticut has authorized online poker under state law, but currently, no operators are licensed, resulting in online poker being prohibited in the state.
‘Sweepstakes’ Casinos
In states where online casinos are not legal, there are “sweepstakes” betting sites that take advantage of a loophole in current legislation to continue operating.
Chumba Casino, Pulsz Casino, and LuckyLand Slots are online casinos that operate using a gray market model. Players buy virtual currency to play games with the chance to win cash prizes, but technically they are not gambling with real money.
Sweepstakes sites typically have a minimum age requirement of 18, which is important to keep in mind when claiming cash prizes. The sites will verify your age and identity before sending out any prizes.
Commercial land-based casinos typically establish a minimum gambling age of 21 to align with state laws and regulations. This age requirement also coincides with the legal drinking age in most states, allowing for alcohol consumption on the premises.
In certain states, tribal-operated casinos may have a lower legal gambling age of 18 or 19, and may not serve alcohol as a result.
The following states allow individuals aged 18 and over to participate in land-based gambling to some extent:
- In California, there are both cardrooms and tribal casinos.
- Florida offers a variety of entertainment options, including poker and bingo available in casinos.
- Idaho: tribal casinos
- Michigan: certain tribal casinos
- Minnesota: certain tribal casinos
- Montana: land-based casinos
- Oklahoma: certain casinos
- Rhode Island: land-based casinos
- Washington: certain tribal casinos
- Wyoming: land-based casinos
DraftKings and FanDuel initially started as daily fantasy sports (DFS) operators before the expansion of sports betting. They continue to offer these services in numerous states, including those without legal sports betting.
Some other well-known DFS sites are Thrive Fantasy, Boom Fantasy, and Parlay Fantasy.
Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) is generally permitted in most markets for individuals 18 years and older as an alternative to sports betting, with a few exceptions.
Nebraska and Alabama have set the minimum age for DFS at 19.
Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, and Massachusetts have set their minimum age at 21.
Horse racing utilizes pari-mutuel wagering, where the odds and payouts can fluctuate until the race begins.
In contrast to sports betting, in prediction markets, the payout for your bet is fixed at the time you place the wager and remains the same regardless of any changes before the event begins.
Horse racing is regulated by laws that stipulate betting eligibility for those aged 18 and above, whether in person, at off-track betting locations, or through online platforms like TwinSpires or FanDuel Racing.
Some states have slightly higher minimum age requirements for horse race bettors, such as Arizona, Iowa, Nevada, and Texas, where individuals must be 21 or older.
Lottery games are a popular form of gambling in the United States, with only a few states prohibiting them and most setting the minimum age at 18.
In many states, individuals are legally allowed to purchase scratch-offs, participate in Powerball and Mega Millions, and play other lottery games at the age of 18.
The minimum age for playing lottery games varies by state. In Nebraska, it is 19, while in Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, and Mississippi, you must be 21 or older.
Certain states permit online lottery play and maintain a consistent age requirement.
How Old Do You Have To Be To Gamble Online in the US?
In this blog post, you learned How Old Do You Have To Be To Gamble online in the United States (USA, US, U.S.).