The gambling age is the minimum age at which one can legally gamble in a certain jurisdiction. In some countries, gambling is illegal regardless of age, while some countries have different age limits for different types of gambling, and some countries have no explicit minimum gambling age.

Minimum legal age to enter a casino by country (2023):
  Illegal
  25 or older
  21 or older
  21 or 18 (depends on the casino)
  20
  19
  18
  13
  no regulation/no age set/no data

Oceania edit

Country Age Notes
  Australia 18 The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 passed by the Commonwealth Parliament of Australia banned online gambling in the form of casinos and slots.
  Federated States of Micronesia Dependent on State law[1]   Chuuk and   Yap – illegal[2][3]
  Kiribati 18[4]
  Marshall Islands Illegal Gambling is illegal except for non-profit bingo, raffles and cakewalks.[5]
  Nauru 18[6]
  New Zealand 20 (casinos)[7]

18 (horse racing and instant kiwi)
None (other types, including lottery)[8]

  Palau 18 Gambling is illegal in Palau except for social gambling, non-profit organisations, and offshore gambling.[9] The social gambling age is tied to the age of majority,[10] which is 18 under Palauan law.[11]
  Papua New Guinea None
  Solomon Islands 18[12] People below the age of 18 can gamble with parental permission in a private dwelling-house or in the presence of a parent.[12] For certain small lotteries, the minimum age to purchase a ticket is 16.[13]
  Tokelau Illegal Gaming is illegal in Tokelau (defined as "a game for money with cards or with dice").[14]
  Tuvalu 18[15] People below the age of 18 can gamble with parental permission in a private dwelling-house or in the presence of a parent.[15] For certain small lotteries, one only needs to be 16 in order to buy a ticket.[16]
  Vanuatu 18[17][18] The given references only prevent people under the age of 18 from gambling online or in casinos.

Europe edit

Country/territory Minimum age Notes
  Albania 18
  Andorra None
  Austria 18[19]
  Belarus 18
  Belgium 21 (casinos)

18 (national lottery)

  Bosnia and Herzegovina 18
  Bulgaria 18
  Croatia 18 (excluding non-casino machines and private)
  Czech Republic 18
  Denmark 18 (except sports betting)[20]
  Estonia 21 (casinos)

18 (national lottery)

  Faroe Islands 18
  Finland 18
  France 18 Lowered from 21 to 18 on May 5, 1987, for casinos.
  Germany 18–21 Varies by state and the type of gambling, lotteries and casinos are generally rated above 18 except casinos in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Lower Saxony.[21]
  Gibraltar 18[22]
  Greece 21[23]
  Georgia 25, or 18 for foreign citizens and stateless persons[24]
  Guernsey 18
  Hungary 18[25]
  Iceland 18
  Ireland 18
  Isle of Man 18
  Italy 18[26]
  Kosovo Illegal Gambling was outlawed in 2019 due to a string of murders that occurred in casinos that year.
  Latvia 18[27]
  Liechtenstein 18
  Lithuania 18[28]
  Luxembourg 18[29]
  Malta 18,[30] or 25 for Maltese citizens[31]
  Moldova 18
  Monaco 18[32]
  Montenegro 18
  Netherlands 18
  North Macedonia 18
  Norway 18
  Poland 18[33]
  Portugal 25 (some casinos)

18 (some casinos, and all other types)[23]

Portugal has complicated gambling laws. It depends on each casino, and there are even some casinos which allow tourists from the age of 18, and local people from 25.
  Romania 18
  San Marino 18[34]
  Serbia 18[35]
  Slovakia 18[36]
  Slovenia 18[37]
  Spain 18[23]
  Sweden 20 (casinos)[38]

18 (other types)[39]

   Switzerland 18[40]
  Turkey Illegal (casinos)
18 (lotteries)
Gambling is illegal in Turkey except for lotteries and horse races.
  Ukraine 21
  UK (United Kingdom) 18
16 (football pools)
None (see the table below for more information)

[41]

Gambling ages in the United Kingdom are set out in the Gambling Act 2005: Part 4, Protection of children and young persons.
Type of gambling Minimum
age
Relevant
sections
of the Act
Gambling in casinos or other licensed gambling premises
It is illegal to permit any person under the age of 18 to enter a licensed gambling premises.
The only exception is licensed family entertainment centres.
18
46, 47, 48 and 49
Gaming machine
(Machine category: A, B1, B2, B3, B3A, B4, C)
18
47 and 48
Gaming machine
(Machine category: D)
None
46 (2)(e) and 48 (2)(e)
National lottery
18
48 (2)(c)
Scratchcards
18
48 (2)(c)
Football pool
16
48 (2)(d)
Private or non-commercial gaming and betting
None
48 (2)(a)&(b)
Equal chance gaming in accordance with a prize gaming permit, or
Equal chance gaming at a licensed family entertainment centre
None
48 (2)(f)&(g)
Prize gaming at a non-licensed family entertainment centre, or
Prize gaming at a travelling fair
None
48 (2)(h)&(i)
  Vatican City None

Asia edit

Country/territory Minimum age Notes
  Akrotiri and Dhekelia 18
  Afghanistan Illegal All casinos and lotteries are forbidden.
  Armenia 21[42]
  Azerbaijan 18
  Bahrain Illegal
  Bangladesh None
  British Indian Ocean Territory 18
  Brunei Darussalam Illegal
  Cambodia None
  China Illegal

18 (lotteries)

Gambling is illegal in China except for lotteries.
  Christmas Island 18
  Cocos (Keeling) Islands 18
  Cyprus 18[43]
  Hong Kong 18
  Iran Illegal
  India 21
  Indonesia 21

Illegal (Muslims)

Only lottery gambling is legal in Indonesia.
  Israel 18
  Japan 20
18 (pachinko) [44]
Majority is lowered to 18, but gambling age still stays at 20 (for lotteries and casinos).
  Jordan Illegal
  Kyrgyzstan 18
  Laos 18[45]
  Lebanon 21
  Macau 21
18 (lottery, sports betting, racing)
  Malaysia 21

Illegal (Muslims)

Resorts World Genting in Genting Highlands is the only casino in Malaysia as of 2022.
  Maldives Illegal
  Mongolia None
  Myanmar 18
  Northern Cyprus 18
  Pakistan Illegal
  Philippines 21 (casinos)

18 (lottery)

  Qatar Illegal
  Russia 18
  Saudi Arabia Illegal
  Singapore 21 (casinos)
18 (lottery, sports betting, racing)
  South Korea 19
  Sri Lanka 21 (lotteries)
  Syria Illegal[46]
  Taiwan 20
  Tajikistan 18
  Thailand Illegal (casinos)

20 (lottery)

Gambling is illegal in Thailand, except for the Government lottery.
  Timor-Leste 18 Only the Government lottery and licensed slot machines are legal.[47]
  Turkey Illegal (casinos)
18 (lotteries)
Gambling is illegal in Turkey except for lotteries and horse races.
  UAE Illegal (casinos)
21 (lotteries)
  Vietnam 21

Africa edit

Country/territory Minimum age Notes
  Algeria Illegal
  Angola 18
  Botswana 18
  Burkina Faso 18
  Cote d'Ivoire 21
  Djibouti 18 (casinos)

None (other types)

  Egypt 21
  Equatorial Guinea None
  Eritrea Illegal

None (online)

  Ethiopia Illegal

None (online)

  Gabon None There is no official gambling age; many erroneously believe it to be 18.
  Ghana 18
  Guinea 18
  Guinea Bissau None There is no official gambling age; many erroneously believe it to be 18.
  Libya Illegal
  Malawi 18 [48]
  Mali 18
  Mauritania Illegal
  Morocco 18
  Mozambique 18
  Namibia 21[49]
  Niger 21 (some casinos)

18 (some other casinos, all other types)

  Nigeria 20[50]
  Senegal 18
  Seychelles 18
  Somalia Illegal
  South Africa 18[51]
  South Sudan None
  Sudan Illegal
  Tanzania 18
  Tunisia None Legal at any age: unsuccessful attempts have been made to declare gambling illegal outright or impose a minimum age.
  Uganda 25

North America edit

Country/territory Minimum age Notes
  Anguilla None Casinos do not exist in Anguilla as of 2023
  Antigua and Barbuda 18
  Bahamas 18
  Barbados 18[52]
  Belize 18
  British Virgin Islands Illegal
  Canada
State Minimum age Notes
Alberta 18 (casinos)
18 (lottery)
British Columbia 19 (casinos)
19 (lottery)
Manitoba 18 (casinos)
18 (lottery)
New Brunswick 19 (casinos)
19 (lottery)
Newfoundland and Labrador 19 (casinos)
19 (lottery)
Nova Scotia 19 (casinos)
19 (lottery)
Ontario 19 (casinos)
18 (lottery)
Prince Edward Island 19 (casinos)
19 (lottery)
Quebec 18 (casinos)
18 (lottery)
Saskatchewan 19 (casinos)
18 (lottery)
18–19 (varies by province)
  Cayman Islands 18
  Costa Rica 18
  Cuba Illegal
  Dominica 18
  Dominican Republic 13[citation needed]
  El Salvador 18
  Greenland 18
  Guatemala 18
  Haiti 18
  Honduras 18
  Jamaica 18
  Mexico 18
  Nicaragua 18
  Panama 18
  Puerto Rico 18[53]
  Saint Kitts and Nevis 21
  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 18
  Saint Lucia 18
  Turks and Caicos Islands 18
  US Virgin Islands 21 (casinos)

18 (other)

  United States
State Minimum age Notes
Alabama 19
Alaska 21
Arizona 21
Arkansas 21
California 21 or 18 (casinos)[54]

18 (Lottery)[55]

Colorado 21 (casinos)

18 (lottery)[56]

Connecticut 21
Delaware 21 (casinos)

18 (lottery)[57]

District of Columbia 18
Florida 21 (casinos)

18 (lottery)[58]

Georgia 18
Hawaii 21
Idaho 18
Illinois 21
Indiana 21
Iowa 21
Kansas 21
Kentucky 18
Louisiana 21
Maine 21 (casinos)

18 (lottery)

Maryland 21
Massachusetts 21 (casinos)

18 (lottery)

Michigan 18
Minnesota 18
Mississippi 21
Missouri 21
Montana 18
Nebraska 21
Nevada 21
New Hampshire 21
New Jersey 21
New Mexico 21
New York 18
North Carolina 21
North Dakota 19
Ohio 21 or 18
Oklahoma 18
Oregon 21 (casinos)

18 (other)

Pennsylvania 21
Rhode Island 18
South Dakota 21
South Carolina 21
Tennessee 21 (sports betting)

18 (lottery)

Texas 21
Utah Illegal[59]
Vermont 21
Virginia 21 (casinos)

18 (other)

Washington 18
West Virginia 21
Wisconsin 21
Wyoming 21
18, 19, 21 or illegal (varies by state)

South America edit

Country/territory Minimum age Notes
  Argentina 18
  Aruba 18 This law is not often enforced.
  Bolivia 18
  Brazil Illegal (casinos)

18 (lottery)

Gambling is illegal in Brazil, except for the Government lottery.
  Chile 18
  Colombia 18
  Curacao 18
  Ecuador 18
  Falkland Islands 18
  French Guiana 18
  Guyana 18
  Paraguay 18
  Peru 18
  Suriname 18
  Trinidad and Tobago 18
  Uruguay 18
  Venezuela 18

Antarctica edit

Country/territory Minimum age Notes
  Antarctica None
  French Southern and Antarctic Lands 18
  Heard and McDonald Islands 18
  South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 18

References edit

  1. ^ Gambling regulation is a State responsibility: Pacific Coast Enterprises v. Chuuk, 9 FSM Intrm. 543, 546 (Chk. S. Ct. Tr. 2000).
  2. ^ Gambling is illegal, except for "games played in private homes or residences in which no person makes money for playing or operating such games": TDL 2-94-21, § 2 (Text version in draft Chuuk Code).
  3. ^ Gambling is illegal, with exceptions for "any nonprofit organization, certified as such by the Treasurer, from conducting raffles, lotteries, or bingo games in order to raise money for any educational, charitable, or public purpose" Yap State Code (1987), Title 11, Chapter 6, §601. (Most recent online version.)
  4. ^ Gambling and Lotteries Act 1988, s7(i).
  5. ^ Gaming and Recreation Prohibition Act 1998 [31 MIRC Ch.4].
  6. ^ Gaming Act 2011, s10(c).
  7. ^ "Casinos".
  8. ^ "Age limit plan for pokies". The New Zealand Herald. 2000-06-30. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2019-09-12.
  9. ^ Penal Code of the Republic of Palau, Chapter 50.
  10. ^ Penal Code of the Republic of Palau, § 5010.
  11. ^ "Domestic Relations - Title 21". www.paclii.org.
  12. ^ a b Gaming and Lotteries Act, s3(3).
  13. ^ Gaming and Lotteries Act, s15(2)(m).
  14. ^ Crimes, Procedure and Evidence Rules 2003, s64.
  15. ^ a b Gaming and Lotteries Act, s3(3).
  16. ^ Gaming and Lotteries Act, s9(2)(m).
  17. ^ Vanuatu Interactive Gaming Act, s18.
  18. ^ Casino Control Act, s44(4).
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