In the U.S., we have two major milestone birthdays that take place within 3 years of each other: 18 and 21. At age 18, a person is considered a legal adult and can vote, play the lottery, and join the armed forces. At age 21, a person can legally drink and buy alcohol and patronize casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. But in many states, people can gamble at age 18—and there’s no better place to host a milestone birthday than a local casino. Here’s a roundup of the various states and their restrictions regarding 18 and over casinos.
Pari-mutuel betting is a type of wager where the final payout is determined after all bets are made, which is different from the fixed odds offered by casinos. The most popular type of pari-mutuel betting is off-track betting facilities. When you bet on horse races, all bets are pooled together and the house takes its fee. Once betting closes, the payouts are finalized based on how much money is in the pool and the results of the event. States that allow pari-mutuel betting for people aged 18 and over include:
In 2002, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled the Federal Wire Act prohibits sports betting, but not necessarily online gambling. However, the US Department of Justice disagreed, claiming all online gambling is illegal in the US, and that advertising online gambling is akin to aiding and abetting a crime. The legal gambling age is codified into the Federal Law with a number of different variables. The thing is that the States establish a legal age but the casinos can fix their own minimum age! So, it is not rare to see a state fixing the legal gambling age at 18 years old and a casino of the same State fixes it at 21 years old! Legal gambling ages across the US vary, with states setting the minimum age at either 18 or 21. This can however change depending on the type of gambling, as well as if you're playing in a Native.
There is a bit of study required, as the legal gambling age to play poker in each state varies. At domestic venues, the US legal poker age by state is typically set to a minimum age of 21 years old, but there are some 18 and over poker rooms located across the United States, as this age restriction is not federally mandated. 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.
Anyone can participate in a few rounds of bingo at the local church, but most casino bingo halls have an age limit to gamble. States that allow people age 18 and up to play bingo in a casino include:
Some states allow gambling for ages 18 and up or 21 and up, some depending on the particular casino, others depending on the particular casino game. For example, Florida allows those 18 and up to gamble on pari-mutuels, bingo, and poker, but has an age minimum of 21 for slots. States with mixed age limits include:
A few states welcome anyone age 18 and older to gamble at local casinos, including California (with a few exceptions). California is home to casinos in over 100 cities—the largest number by far in the U.S., exceeding even the number found in Nevada. Southern California alone boasts two dozen cities with casinos, including Campo, which is home to Golden Acorn Casino! States that allow gambling at the age of 18 include:
If you’re looking for the best place to celebrate your birthday at one of the 18 and over casinos near San Diego, come see us at Golden Acorn Casino. We offer hundreds of slot machines and dozens of table games to choose from, and we’re conveniently located right off the I-8, about an hour away from downtown San Diego. And who knows, maybe your wish for a big jackpot will come true when you blow out your candles!
What the legal gambling age is depends on the state in which you live. Based on the powers of the states, each state's rights, and the lawmakers utilizing these rights, these ages can vary. the variance comes into play with different forms of gambling, different states, and, in the case of online gambling, the age requirement offered by a gambling site. While this may seem complicated with so much information to keep track of, this is not exactly the case - age requirements in gambling are very easy to comprehend, provided you know where to look.
Unfortunately, not every single state has actually listed the age requirement for gambling in their code of laws. It is further complicated by the fact that some states allow smaller jurisdictions, such as counties and cities, to establish their own legal ages. For the most part, we are only going to worry about each state's individual rules, as well as the rules of the different gambling sites in question. We have looked into this issue on a state by state basis, and we are going to tell you flat out that the age restriction for legal online gambling in the USA is fixed at two numbers - 18 and 21.
CHECK HERE FOR A LIST OF GAMBLING SITES THAT ACCEPT USA PLAYERS
USA Sportsbooks - USA Casinos - USA Poker Sites
What's The Legal Gambling Age??? | ||||
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Alabama - 21 | Hawaii - 21 | Massachusetts - 21 | New Mexico - 21 | South Dakota - 21 |
Alaska - 18 | Idaho - 18 | Michigan - 21 | New York - 18 | Tennessee - 21 |
Arizona - 21 | Illinois - 21 | Minnesota - 18 | North Carolina - 18 | Texas - 21 |
Arknsas - 21 | Indiana - 21 | Mississippi - 21 | North Dakota - 21 | Utah - 21 |
California - 21 | Iowa - 21 | Missouri - 21 | Ohio - 21 | Vermont - 18 |
Colorado - 21 | Kansas - 18 | Montana - 21 | Oklahoma - 18 | Virginia - 21 |
Connecticut - 21 | Kentucky - 21 | Nebraska - 21 | Oregon - 21 | Washington - 18 |
Delaware - 21 | Louisiana - 21 | Nevada - 21 | Pennsylvania - 21 | West Virginia - 21 |
Florida - 21 | Maine - 18 | New Hampshire - 21 | Rhode Island - 18 | Wisconsin - 21 |
Georgia - 21 | Maryland - 21 | New Jersey - 21 | South Carolina - 18 | Wyoming - 18 |
Do Gambling Ages Differ Between Sites And States?
Barring a few exceptions, you will have to be 21 in order to legally gamble. This is the case in nearly every single state. Some states allow 18 year olds to gamble. Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming all have gambling ages of 18.
Every other state in the Union has fixed their gambling age at 21, and you cannot get around this in any way. If you attempt to do so you are aiming at serious trouble, including fines, having your money confiscated, and possibly arrest, though the latter is not likely.
There is one point of confusion that is universal in online gambling. This lies between the age required by your gambling site and the gambling age required by your state. In some cases, one will allow gamblers to begin at a younger age than the other. In the event that these ages differ from one another, you have to go with the gambling age that is higher.
For instance - your casino allows 18 year olds, but your state requires you to be 21. That means you cannot join unless you are 21, as per your state's regulations. On the other hand, if your state will allow 18 year olds but that particular gambling site requires you to be 21, you will have to be 21 - regardless of your state's requirements. This is the only real point of confusion, and it can be easily bypassed.
Age Requirement For Online Gambling Sites
As you will come to find, there are gambling age restrictions at the gambling sites you visit. These gambling ages requirements will be stipulated in the terms and condtions section of the site, or some variation of the rules of the site. These requirements are very important, and strictly enforced by the sites themselves.
One thing we can tell you not to do is attempt to gamble underage - be it online or in a brick and mortar venue. Even if you can enter the website or join up with pme, you will ultimately be going down a path you cannot finish walking. If you join a gambling site that you are not old enough to play with, be aware that they are fully entitled to confiscate your money.
No one likes losing, and losing without even having a chance to win is never fun. We have compiled the legal gambling ages in every state, so we recommend you take a look at these before you start to gamble.
It's best consult your local laws to find out the gambling age after you have checked with, and at least are old enough to gamble at the online casino or sportsbook you have chosen. If you meet the online gambling site but not the state, you are still not 'legally' allowed to wager regardless of where it operates. Getting caught illegally gambling online is not something that you want to have happen, as you will be stripped of accounts, money, and perhaps more.
We do not condone underage gambling and encourage all players to get informed. 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.