4/11/2022
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Legal Gambling Age In England Rating: 7,8/10 9867 votes
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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.

  1. To gamble legally in the UK, you need to be eighteen years old and above. This applies to both land-based and online casinos. Sportsbooks are also obligated to confirm that customers are eighteen years old and above by requesting supporting documents such as identification cards or driver’s licenses.
  2. Generally, the minimum gambling age in England is 18, however, the minimum age to purchase a National Lottery ticket is sixteen. To enter and gamble at a casino or horse racetrack participants must be at least eighteen. The same minimum age equates to arcade gambling as well. Forms Of Legal Gambling In The UK.
  3. The Government should take immediate action to amend the definition of gaming in section 6 of the Gambling Act 2005 to regulate loot boxes as gambling. The Government’s age appropriate design code must include provisions on nudge techniques and detrimental use of data, as proposed in the draft code.

For many gamblers, the idea of traveling to Las Vegas, Macau or Monte Carlo to try their luck is something of a dream. Being able to travel the world and play at different casinos sounds incredible but there could be one stumbling block – the legal gambling age.

The legal gambling age refers to the age from which members of the public are legally allowed to bet in a specific location. Most legal ages apply to countries but in some countries, it may be different in individual cities or regions.

Gambling Laws by Country

Gambling laws and the legal age for betting will vary from country to country. Let’s take a look at some of the differences between different countries.
New Zealand – New Zealand has a long and well-documented history with betting and casinos. Currently, as a result of the gaming act in 2003, people are allowed to play at a casino from the 20, though, they are allowed to partake in sports betting from 18.
Australia – Australia has had an interesting relationship with betting and casinos over the years. The legal age to bet or enter a casino there is now 18. This includes all forms of betting including online casinos.
Ireland – The law in Ireland was changed in the gaming act of 1956, making all forms of betting and playing real money casinos legal in the country from 18 years old.
The United Kingdom – Betting is incredibly popular in the UK, and you can play gambling games from 18 years old. The national lottery can be played from 16.
The United States of America – The USA is slowly becoming more liberal with real casinos. In most states, most notably Nevada, the age of gambling is 21, though, in some, it is 18. Casinos and any form of betting are still illegal in Hawaii and Utah.
Argentina – Argentina is one of the most popular countries for place bets in South America, and the legal age to do there is 18.
Egypt – Africa is not a particular popular continent for gambling, but Egypt has managed to make itself a popular destination in recent years with a good range of casinos. The legal age there is 21.
Macau – Macau is one of the most popular destinations in the world for bettors. The country has a legal age of 21. Though, tourists are allowed to play in several of the casinos there from 18.

Legal Age to Gamble by continent

Gambling has slowly become more and more acceptable around the globe, but some countries still have much stricter laws than others. Betting culture varies from continent to continent and here is a rough outline of the way each continent legislates the industry.

Europe
Europe is perhaps the most liberal continent when it comes to gambling. Thanks to the European Union, most states are places where you can gamble at 18. This may vary in some countries, such as Greece or Portugal. These laws tend to allow the public to gamble both online and in land-based casinos from that age.

Asia
Asia has a range of different restrictions on gambling, with the legal gambling age by country changing a lot. In some countries, it is banned totally still.

In popular locations like Singapore and Macau, the age is 21. Though, in Macau, tourists may be able to gamble from the age of 18, depending on the casino. Thailand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Syria are some of the countries where gambling is totally illegal.

Africa
In most African countries, 18 tends to be the legal age that people can begin to gamble. One of the exceptions to this rule is Egypt, which is a popular destination for gambling. Their legal age is 21.

Interestingly, Malwai has the lowest legal age in the world, which is 5. This is because it is believed they understand the concept of money by this age.

North America
The most popular destination for gambling in North America, and perhaps the entire world, is Las Vegas in the USA. The legal age in most US states is 21, though there are a few exceptions where the age is 18. Interestingly, a lot of other countries on the continent, including the likes of Jamaica and Mexico, have legal ages of 18.

South America
If you are planning a trip to South America, then you should be at least 18 years to enter a casino. This is the legal age in all 15 countries since 2006.

Oceania
The two biggest countries in Oceania are New Zealand and Australia and they both have different gambling ages. In Australia, the legal age for betting is 18 years old.

In New Zealand, the age limit to play real money online casino games is 20, but residents can place a bet on horse racing at 18 years old thanks to the gaming act of 2003. They can play Instant kiwi when they are 16.

AgeLegal Gambling Age In England

Why is the gambling age 21 in some countries?
One of the most frustrating things can be traveling from a country where you can bet at the age of 18 to a country where you can only bet from the age of 21 if you fall between those age brackets.

The most notable destination for this is Las Vegas, where young tourists who can gamble in their own country have to wait until they are 21 to do it in America. In some countries, the age for how old do you have to be to go to a casino is also different from when you can go to sports betting shops, such as in New Zealand.

The reason for this is different countries consider different ages to be the threshold of becoming an adult. It can be addictive and dangerous and governments decide when they believe their population is at an appropriate age to understand the risks that come with betting.

Some countries make different types of betting legal at different ages. Many countries that have a national lottery, like the UK, allow their people to play this before they are allowed to gamble in casinos or online, for example.

In some countries, mainly in parts of the Middle-East, gambling is totally illegal. One of the most notable countries where it is illegal is China.

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Meanwhile the minimum age to play the National Lottery will be raised to 18, due to what the government described as “significant change” in the way it is played.

The Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has already launched a call for evidence, which will look into stake and spend limits and new rules around advertising and bonusing, as well as additional protections for younger adults. This call for evidence will run for 16 weeks, until 31 March 2021 and its findings will inform planned changes to the 2005 Act.

“The findings will be used to inform any changes to the Gambling Act 2005 to ensure customer protection is at the heart of the regulations, while giving those that gamble safely the freedom to do so,” DCMS said.

“The government recognises the need to balance the enjoyment people get from gambling with the right regulatory framework and protections.”

In addition, the Gambling Commission’s role and powers will receive scrutiny “in order to ensure it can keep pace with the licensed sector and tackle the black market”.

The Commission has faced criticism from bodies including the National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee, which have said it was under-resourced, and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling-Related Harm, which repeatedly called it “not fit for purpose”.

The review will also look into “the action customers can take where they feel operators have breached social responsibility requirements” if, for example, inadequate interventions were taken.

This – combined with the review of the Commission – may suggest DCMS is examining the concept of a gambling ombudsman. Groups including the Social Market Foundation have argued that an ombudsman should be created to deal with consumer issues, allowing the Commission to focus on licensing.

While DCMS did not say loot boxes in video games were part of the review, it noted that the Government launched a call for evidence on the matter in September.

Secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport Oliver Dowden said the gambling industry has changed greatly since the 2005 Act, making a review necessary.

“While millions gamble responsibly, the Gambling Act is an analogue law in a digital age,” Dowden said. “From an era of having a flutter in a high street bookmaker, casino, racecourse or seaside pier, the industry has evolved at breakneck speed.

“This comprehensive review will ensure we are tackling problem gambling in all its forms to protect children and vulnerable people. It will also help those who enjoy placing a bet to do so safely.”

Legal Gambling Age In England

The minimum age to raise the National Lottery will also be raised from 16 to 18 by no later than October 2021. The age limit will therefore not be included in the review, but DCMS will open a consultation on the matter before it comes into effect.

DCMS said raising the minimum age was necessary as the lottery’s games portfolio has undergone “significant change” since its 1994 launch, with more players playing online and spending money on instant win games such as scratchcards.

In the first half of its 2020-21 fiscal year, Camelot’s digital revenue came to £1.73bn – just under half of its £3.85bn in overall sales – as mobile sales shot up 50.7% to £1.13bn. Instant win games were the largest source of revenue, bringing in £882.7m.

“We’re committed to protecting young people from gambling related harm which is why we are raising the minimum age for the National Lottery,” Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage Nigel Huddleston. “Patterns of play have changed since its inception, with a shift towards online games, and this change will help make sure the National Lottery, although already low-risk, is not a gateway to problem gambling.”

Dowden also pointed to past action by the Gambling Commission to show the government has been working to increase the level of player protection in the British gambling industry.

In 2018, the Commission announced that it would reduce the maximum stake permitted on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) from £100 to £2 after pressure from MPs and campaign groups. Last year, it brought in new age and ID verification requirements while in January of 2020, it banned the use of credit cards to gamble.

Legal Gambling Age In England

“This builds upon our clear track record of introducing tough measures to protect people from the risk of gambling harm – banning the use of credit cards, launching tighter age verification checks and cutting the maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals.”

The Commission has also launched consultations on safer game design and affordability this year, proposing an end to autoplay and quick spin features and the developments of clearer thresholds for affordability assessments.

A consultation on VIP schemes also recently came to an end, with licensees required to carry out enhanced affordability and responsible gambling checks.

The Commission that loyalty schemes may be banned if operators fail to comply with the new controls.

A review of the Gambling Act has long been expected, after the UK’s Conservative Party included plans for this in its manifesto before winning the 2019 General Election.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling-Related Harm, the House of Lords, the Social market Foundation, the Public Accounts Committee and the National Audit Office have all released their own reports with recommendations for change to the country’s gambling laws.