The Minimum Legal Age for Gambling in the US

Most states allow bets on sports starting from the age of 21, while there are a bunch of states that believe it is okay to make bets on sports starting from 18.

The landscape of sports betting in the United States is currently undergoing a remarkable transformation, boosted by a ruling from the Supreme Court granting individual states the power to legalize this form of gambling. As a result, a few states have already taken the initiative to grant licenses to casinos and sportsbooks, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down, with additional states joining the movement on a regular basis.

The enthusiasm of Americans for betting on a wide range of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and numerous others, cannot be overstated. Therefore, the community expects that the realm of US sports betting will continue to develop and expand.

At the time of writing this page, only four states made online casino gambling legal – Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. All these states require players to be at least 21 years old or older to play casino games online for real money and withdraw real money wins.

All other states currently hold online casino gambling illegal. However, the rules for online sports betting or online poker are not the same for each state.

Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania currently allow online poker. The minimum legal US gambling age is 21. Some online casino sites have found a loophole and even if casino games online are not allowed in the state they still accept customers only offering them access to online poker options. However, this doesn’t seem to be a viable model that can last.

Some not-very-fair casinos allow players to register an account, deposit money, and make real-money bets even though online casino games or poker are not allowed in the state. But before the player can withdraw their winnings, the gambling site proceeds with the age verification and rejects the withdrawal request by the player due to the player being ineligible. This is why it is important to follow the legal requirements and only play with licensed operators.

When it comes to the age requirement for gambling at commercial land-based casinos, the standard threshold is typically set at 21 years old. This choice aligns with state laws and ensures compliance by the local facilities.

Moreover, the decision to set the minimum age at 21 often corresponds to the legal drinking age in most states, enabling these establishments to serve alcoholic beverages to all guests without the need for additional checking and control.

However, tribal casinos that are available in several states often enjoy more flexibility when it comes to determining the legal gambling age. In numerous states, casinos operated by tribal entities tend to establish a slightly lower age requirement, typically at 18 or 19 years old.

If there is a range of gambling ages by state for land-based casinos it means that the final decision about the allowed minimum age remains after the facility’s management.

Prior to their impressive rise in the sports betting realm, DraftKings and FanDuel were aspiring operators in the domain of daily fantasy sports (DFS). Even today, these platforms continue to offer their DFS services in the majority of states, irrespective of whether sports betting has been legalized or not. In fact, in many states, DFS betting is illegal because it has not been properly regulated and therefore operates in the gray zone.

In most markets, individuals aged 18 and above are permitted to engage in DFS, which is a good alternative for those players who are not allowed by local law to play casino games or make bets on sports.

However, there are some exceptions to this general rule. For example, Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania allow Daily Fantasy Sports and regular sports betting but only after 21.

Despite the huge odds associated with lottery games, they remain one of the most prevalent forms of gambling in the United States and one of the oldest and most popular ones. It is a rarity to find a state that does not offer any lottery games because most states do allow lotteries for players 18 years old and older.

Only Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, and Utah currently hold lotteries illegal, or the lottery laws have not been implemented yet.

In Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, and Louisiana, one can play the lottery at the age of 21 and older.

Most lotteries are administered by individual states or coalitions of states, providing players with a diverse array of gambling options beyond simply selecting numbers. In addition to the traditional lottery draws, certain state lotteries incorporate sports betting pools and introduce other unique games.

Bingo is another classic American game of chance, played for fun and wins and also often organized for charity. Americans all around the country love playing Bingo and enjoy all its benefits including socialization and having fun with friends and family.

Currently, most states allow playing Bingo at the age of 18, but Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Iowa, Nevada, and South Dakota only allow individuals who are 21 and older.

In Maine, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Oklahoma, there is a chance to play bingo legally for 16 years olds.

Horse racing suggests a different wagering system known as pari-mutuel, wherein the odds and corresponding payouts have the potential to fluctuate right up until the moment the race commences. This stands in contrast to casino gambling and sports betting, where your bet carries a fixed payout established at the time of placing the wager.

Once you secure a win, the initially determined payout remains unaffected by any subsequent changes transpiring between your bet and the commencement of the game. Consequently, horse racing operates under a different set of regulations in each state. In most states, betting on horse races is available starting from the age of 18. In a couple of states like South Carolina and Tennessee, horse races take place legally but betting on them is illegal.