December 12, 2022
How Old Do You Have To Be To Gamble in the U.S.?
This post on legal gambling age in the U.S., was updated and republished on Monday, December 12, 2022.
- How old do you have to be to gamble? In most states, you have to be at least 18 years old to do any form of gambling.
- What is the legal gambling age in your state? Many states require you to be at least 21 years old to participate in certain types of gambling like sports betting or playing at a casino.
- Is the minimum gambling age different for the lottery? You can typically play the lottery or bingo at age 18.
The legal gambling age is a topic of discussion for politicians and lawmakers throughout the U.S. as well as a safety measure from casinos and other gambling entities to prevent underage gambling.
In the U.S., you have to be 18 years old to vote and 21 years old to drink alcohol. But how old do you have to be to be able to legally gamble in the United States? Well, the minimum gambling age depends on where you’re gambling and what you’re gambling on.
Unlike the voting and drinking age limits, there is no national minimum age limit for gambling in the U.S. Each individual state determines what kinds of gambling it allows within its borders and the legal gambling age for that specific form of gambling.
The variety of gambling options and gaming locations in any given state can make determining the minimum gambling age very challenging. Some states only offer the lottery and bingo and set the minimum age to 18 years old, while many others have more advanced gambling options like poker rooms, online casinos, or virtual sports betting.
Here’s a breakdown of how old you have to be to gamble at your favorite games in every U.S. state.
Note: The legal gambling age can change based on new gambling legislation, so the information provided in this guide to gambling ages in the U.S., is based on information collected in December 2022.
How Old Do You Have To Be To Gamble at a Casino?
Most states that have legalized casino gambling require you to be 21 years old to wager. However, some states set the minimum gambling age to 18 for brick-and-mortar casinos. Additionally, there are also some states which set the minimum gambling age depending on the specific casino, where one casino’s minimum age is 18 and another casino’s minimum age is 21.
As you can see, determining the legal gambling age for a land-based casino is not always black and white.
The age variance typically depends on the types of gambling games available at that casino. Some casinos may only have electronic slots, keno, and horse or dog racing, but no table games like blackjack or baccarat.
Other casinos may have the whole gambit of casino game types from daily fantasy sports to poker. In addition, some casinos may restrict their patrons to 21 or older if they serve alcohol.
If you’re between the ages of 18 and 21, you should always check with the casino to confirm the minimum age and adhere to any gambling age restrictions set forth by that casino.
The minimum age to gamble can also depend on whether the casino is a tribal casino, which may have its own rules and minimum age requirements. Another thing to consider is that some states only allow cruise casinos, like riverboat casinos. Both Georgia and South Carolina allow casino gambling on cruises and may have unique age restrictions based on Maritime laws for that cruise.
Always check with the state’s law enforcement agencies for age limits and legal gambling activities.
Here’s a breakdown of each state’s minimum age for legal casino gambling as of December 2022:
| Age Requirements for Casinos | |
| State | Age |
| Alabama* | 21 |
| Alaska* | 21 |
| Arizona | 21 |
| Arkansas | 21 |
| California | 18/21 |
| Colorado | 21 |
| Connecticut | 21 |
| District of Columbia (D.C.)* | n/a |
| Delaware | 21 |
| Florida | 21 |
| Georgia | 18 |
| Hawaii* | 21 |
| Idaho | 18 |
| Illinois | 21 |
| Indiana | 21 |
| Iowa | 21 |
| Kansas | 21 |
| Kentucky* | n/a |
| Louisiana | 21 |
| Maine | 21 |
| Maryland | 21 |
| Massachusetts | 21 |
| Michigan | 18/21 |
| Minnesota | 18 |
| Mississippi | 21 |
| Missouri | 21 |
| Montana | 18 |
| Nebraska | 21 |
| Nevada | 21 |
| New Hampshire | 21 |
| New Jersey | 21 |
| New Mexico | 21 |
| New York | 21 |
| North Carolina | 21 |
| North Dakota | 21 |
| Ohio | 21 |
| Oklahoma | 18 |
| Oregon | 21 |
| Pennsylvania | 21 |
| Rhode Island | 21 |
| South Carolina | 21 |
| South Dakota | 18 |
| Tennessee* | n/a |
| Texas | 21 |
| Utah* | 21 |
| Vermont* | 21 |
| Virginia* | 21 |
| Washington | 18 |
| West Virginia | 21 |
| Wisconsin | 21 |
| Wyoming | 21 |
*These states either have no legal casinos due to state gambling laws, limited casino operations, or tribal casinos with limited casino operations. The minimum ages presented reflect possible legal limits per our research, but these numbers should not be relied on for legal use.
How Old Do You Have To Be To Gamble at an Online Casino?
Online gambling age restrictions are a little easier to understand because online casinos throughout the country have the same minimum age.
In all states that allow online casino gambling, you must be 21 years or older to play. Online casinos are currently legal in the following six states:
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- West Virginia
Many other states are considering legalizing online casinos, especially considering there are many that have legalized online sports betting — and whenever those states launch online casinos, they will also require players to be 21 or older to gamble.
How Old Do You Have To Be To Play Poker?
While the gambling age for online casinos is straightforward, the minimum playing age for poker is a little more confusing. First, not every casino has a poker room, and many online casinos offer video poker but not traditional poker like Texas Hold’em.
If you’re playing at a physical casino, you may be able to gamble at tables on the casino floor or in separate poker rooms — depending on the casino.
While some states may allow you access to the casino at 18 years old, you may have to be older to sit at the poker tables. Here are the minimum age requirements to legally play poker in the following states:
| Age Requirements to Play Poker | |
| State | Age |
| Alabama* | 21 |
| Alaska* | n/a |
| Arizona | 21 |
| Arkansas | 21 |
| California | 18/21 |
| Colorado | 21 |
| Connecticut | 21 |
| Delaware | 21 |
| Florida | 18 |
| Georgia | 18 |
| Hawaii* | 21 |
| Idaho | 18 |
| Illinois | 21 |
| Indiana | 21 |
| Iowa | 21 |
| Kansas | 21 |
| Kentucky* | n/a |
| Louisiana | 21 |
| Maine | 21 |
| Maryland | 21 |
| Massachusetts | 21 |
| Michigan | 18/21 |
| Minnesota | 18 |
| Mississippi | 21 |
| Missouri | 21 |
| Montana | 18 |
| Nebraska | 21 |
| Nevada | 21 |
| New Hampshire | 18 |
| New Jersey | 21 |
| New Mexico | 21 |
| New York | 21 |
| North Carolina | 21 |
| North Dakota | 21 |
| Ohio | 21 |
| Oklahoma | 18 |
| Oregon | 18 |
| Pennsylvania | 21 |
| Rhode Island | 21 |
| South Carolina | 18 |
| South Dakota* | n/a |
| Tennessee* | n/a |
| Texas | 21 |
| Utah* | 21 |
| Vermont | 21 |
| Virginia* | 18 |
| Washington | 18 |
| West Virginia | 21 |
| Wisconsin | 21 |
| Wyoming | 21 |
*These states either have no legal casinos due to state gambling laws, limited casino operations, or tribal casinos with limited casino operations. The minimum ages presented reflect possible legal limits per our research, but these numbers should not be relied on for legal use.
How Old Do You Have To Be To Play Online Poker?
If you want to test your luck at online gambling by playing poker online, you’ll need to be at least 18. Many online poker sites allow players 18 years and older, but some may require you to be 21 years old. The age requirements can depend on the individual poker site and your state’s age requirements for playing poker.
While online poker on sites like PokerStars, Full Tilt, and Party Poker used to be legal throughout the country, the Supreme court passed a law in 2010 declaring online poker unlawful outside of the states which had approved online gambling legislation.
As of December 2022, online poker for real money is currently only allowed in the following seven states:
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Michigan
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- West Virginia
To determine the legal gambling age for online poker in your state, if it’s one of the seven above), you will need to read the age restrictions outlined by the virtual poker room for which you wish to sign up.
How Old Do You Have To Be To Play Bingo?
Gambling on bingo is literally a game of chance, but knowing whether you meet the minimum gambling age for playing bingo in your state is not.
Most states require you to be at least 18 years old to play bingo, while a few states may require you to be 21 years old. Surprisingly, the minimum gambling age for bingo in a few states is only 16 years old.
Bingo is commonly played at bingo halls, community centers, churches, and other brick-and-mortar locations, and the profits typically go to local nonprofit causes. You can also play bingo online at some New Jersey-based online casinos, too. Because of the latitude of where bingo is played, the minimum age also has more flexibility than your traditional gambling games.
Here’s a breakdown of the legal age requirements to play a bingo game in various U.S. states:
| Age Requirements to Play Bingo | |
| State | Age |
| Alabama | 18 |
| Alaska | 19 |
| Arizona | 18 |
| Arkansas | 18 |
| California | 18 |
| Colorado | 18 |
| Connecticut | 18 |
| Delaware | 18 |
| Florida | 18 |
| Georgia | 18 |
| Hawaii | 18 |
| Idaho | 18 |
| Illinois | 18 |
| Indiana | 18 |
| Iowa | 21 |
| Kansas | 18 |
| Kentucky* | 18 |
| Louisiana | 18 |
| Maine | 16 |
| Maryland | 18 |
| Massachusetts | 18 |
| Michigan | 18 |
| Minnesota | 18 |
| Mississippi | 18 |
| Missouri | 18 |
| Montana | 18 |
| Nebraska | 18 |
| Nevada | 21 |
| New Hampshire | 18 |
| New Jersey | 18 |
| New Mexico | No Limit |
| New York | 18 |
| North Carolina | 18 |
| North Dakota | 18 |
| Ohio | 16 |
| Oklahoma | 16 |
| Oregon | 18 |
| Pennsylvania | 18 |
| Rhode Island | 18 |
| South Carolina | 18 |
| South Dakota | n/a |
| Tennessee | 18 |
| Texas | 21 |
| Utah | 21 |
| Vermont | n/a |
| Virginia | 18 |
| Washington | 18 |
| West Virginia | 18 |
| Wisconsin | 18 |
| Wyoming | 18 |
Note: Since bingo is often played to help nonprofits raise money, states that typically don’t allow gambling may have legal bingo games. However, the age minimums presented reflect possible legal limits per our research, but these numbers should not be relied on for legal use.
How Old Do You Have To Be To Play the Lottery?
Gambling on the lottery is one. of the most frequent forms of gambling in the country. It’s estimated that a little more than 50% of people in the U.S. play the lottery and that the average person spends $1,000 annually gambling on the lottery.
In fact, millions of tickets were recently sold for a single lottery drawing — the world-record $2.04 billion prize for the Powerball drawing in November 2022. A single ticket sold in California hit and the winner walked away with a lump sum of $997.6 million.
In most U.S. states, you have to be 18 years old to play the lottery, including in-state lotteries and multi-state lottery drawings like the Powerball mentioned above. However, there are five states that do not have an in-state lottery or participate in multi-state lottery drawings:
- Alabama
- Alaska (no official lottery)
- Hawaii
- Nevada
- Utah
Both Arkansas and Mississippi established an in-state lottery and started participating in multi-state drawings, like Powerball and Mega Millions, in the past few years after being some of the few hold-outs. States like Alabama and Hawaii have recently attempted to start their own lotteries, but the legislation failed.
Unlike casino games, the minimum gambling age for the state lottery is usually lower. Here are the age requirements to play the lottery across the U.S.
| Age Requirements to Play the Lottery | |
| State | Age |
| Alabama | n/a |
| Alaska | n/a |
| Arizona | 21 |
| Arkansas | 18 |
| California | 18 |
| Colorado | 18 |
| Connecticut | 18 |
| Delaware | 18 |
| Florida | 18 |
| Georgia | 18 |
| Hawaii | n/a |
| Idaho | 18 |
| Illinois | 18 |
| Indiana | 18 |
| Iowa | 21 |
| Kansas | 18 |
| Kentucky | 18 |
| Louisiana | 21 |
| Maine | 18 |
| Maryland | 18 |
| Massachusetts | 18 |
| Michigan | 18 |
| Minnesota | 18 |
| Mississippi | 21 |
| Missouri | 18 |
| Montana | 18 |
| Nebraska | 19 |
| Nevada | n/a |
| New Hampshire | 18 |
| New Jersey | 18 |
| New Mexico | 18 |
| New York | 18 |
| North Carolina | 18 |
| North Dakota | 18 |
| Ohio | 18 |
| Oklahoma | 18 |
| Oregon | 18 |
| Pennsylvania | 18 |
| Rhode Island | 18 |
| South Carolina | 18 |
| South Dakota | 18 |
| Tennessee | 18 |
| Texas | 18 |
| Utah | n/a |
| Vermont | 18 |
| Virginia | 18 |
| Washington | 18 |
| West Virginia | 18 |
| Wisconsin | 18 |
| Wyoming | 18 |
Note: Be sure to check your state’s official lottery site to verify your state’s minimum age.
How Old Do You Have To Be To Play Online Lottery?
Although not as popular as other gambling games or virtual betting, some states do allow you to enter lotteries online. In the states that do offer online lottery, you must be at least 18 years old to play. There are currently eight states that have online lottery:
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Pennsylvania
- North Dakota
- North Carolina
- New Hampshire
How Old Do You Have To Be To Bet on Horse & Dog Racing?
Betting on dog and horse racing are two of the oldest forms of gambling, and while dog and horse racing may be less popular than they were a few decades ago, they are still really popular for gamblers.
In most states that offer horse and dog racing, you have to be at least 18 years old to wager. However, some states do require you to be 21 years or older.
Among the states listed below, some may offer only horse racing, while others allow horse and greyhound dog racing. Many states have outright banned dog racing due to inhuman practices.
In addition, some states may only allow you to bet on horse and dog racing via pari-mutuel betting, which is covered later in this article. If you see a state with “n/a” next to it, you may be able to find the legal betting age for horse and dog racing in the “How Old Do You Have To Be To Do Pari-Mutuel Betting?” section below.
With all those disclaimers out of the way, here’s a breakdown of legal age requirements for horse and dog racing in the U.S.:
| Age Requirements to Play Poker | |
| State | Age |
| Alabama | 18 |
| Alaska | n/a |
| Arizona | 21 |
| Arkansas | 18 |
| California | 18 |
| Colorado | 18 |
| Connecticut | 18 |
| Delaware | 18 |
| Florida | 18 |
| Georgia | 18 |
| Hawaii | 18 |
| Idaho | 18 |
| Illinois | 18 |
| Indiana | 18 |
| Iowa | 21 |
| Kansas | 18 |
| Kentucky | 18 |
| Louisiana | 18 |
| Maine | 18 |
| Maryland | 18 |
| Massachusetts | 18 |
| Michigan | 18 |
| Minnesota | 18 |
| Mississippi | 18 |
| Missouri | 18 |
| Montana | 18 |
| Nebraska | 19 |
| Nevada | n/a |
| New Hampshire | 18 |
| New Jersey | 18 |
| New Mexico | 18 |
| New York | 18 |
| North Carolina | n/a |
| North Dakota | 18 |
| Ohio | 18 |
| Oklahoma | 18 |
| Oregon | 18 |
| Pennsylvania | 18 |
| Rhode Island | 18 |
| South Carolina | n/a |
| South Dakota* | n/a |
| Tennessee | n/a |
| Texas | 18 |
| Utah | n/a |
| Vermont | 18 |
| Virginia | 18 |
| Washington | 18 |
| West Virginia | 18 |
| Wisconsin | 18 |
| Wyoming | 18 |
Note: Always check with your state’s law enforcement agencies or with the casino/sportsbook/race track operators for official age requirements. Legislation is still active in many states.
How Old Do You Have To Be for Sports Betting?
Sports betting is one of the fastest-growing sectors of gambling throughout the U.S., and many people are curious not only about whether their state allows legal sports betting, but what the minimum age requirement for sports betting is in their hometown.
Most states that allow sports betting require you to be at least 21 years old, though there are a few states that allow those who are 18 and older to place bets. What’s more, there are many states that have passed legislation to allow sports betting, either in-person or online through mobile sportsbooks.
Unfortunately, the legislation surrounding legal sports betting is in constant flux with some states legalizing and then reversing the ruling. For example, Florida legalized sports betting for almost a month in 2021 before a federal judge stepped in to overturn the sports betting deal with the Seminole tribe — banning sportsbooks once again.
As of December 2022, the states that currently do not allow sports betting are:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Kentucky
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Wisconsin*
* Has a limited number of in-person sports books at tribal casinos, but no legal official online sportsbooks
Some of the states that currently allow legal sports betting (Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska, and Ohio) have passed legislation allowing sportsbooks but have yet to launch consumer-facing products to facilitate sports betting.
Other states may allow you to make wagers on legally operated offshore sportsbook sites, while others prohibit all forms of sports wagers.
Here are the states that do legally offer sports betting, the age requirements to do so, and whether they have online and/or in-person sports betting opportunities.
| Age Requirements for Sports Betting in States Where Sports Betting Is Legal | |||
| State | Age | In-Person Sports Betting | Online Sports Betting |
| Arizona | 21 | Yes | Yes |
| Arkansas** | 21 | Yes | No |
| Colorado | 21 | Yes | No |
| Connecticut | 21 | Yes | Yes |
| Delaware** | 21 | Yes | No |
| District of Columbia** | 18 | Yes | Yes |
| Florida | 21 | Yes | Yes |
| Illinois§ | 21 | Yes | Yes |
| Indiana✝✝ | 21 | Yes | Yes |
| Iowa✝✝ | 21 | Yes | Yes |
| Louisiana | 21 | Yes | Yes |
| Maryland | 21 | Yes | Launches pending |
| Michigan | 21 | Yes | Yes |
| Minnesota | n/a | Legislation pending | Pending |
| Mississippi | 21 | Yes | Only when at a B&M casino |
| Montana | 18 | Yes | No |
| Nebraska✝ | n/a | Yes – Pending | No |
| Nevada | 21 | Yes | Yes |
| New Hampshire** | 18 | No | Yes |
| New Jersey✝ | 21 | Yes | Yes |
| New Mexico** | 21 | Yes | No |
| New York** | 21 | Yes | Pending |
| North Carolina | 21 | Yes | No |
| North Dakota | 21 | Yes | Unknown |
| Oregon** | 21 | Yes | Yes |
| Pennsylvania | 21 | Yes | Yes |
| Rhode Island** | 21 | Yes | Yes |
| South Dakota | 21 | Yes | Only when at a licensed tribal casino |
| Tennessee | 21 | No | Yes |
| Virginia** | 21 | No | Yes |
| Washington§ | 21 | Yes | Only when at a licensed tribal casino |
| West Virginia | 21 | Yes | Yes |
| Wisconsin* | 21 | Yes, at some tribal casinos | No |
| Wyoming | 18 | No | Yes |
* Has limited number of in-person sports books at tribal casinos, but no legal official online sportsbooks
** Cannot make bets on in-state college teams or teams based in the district
✝ Cannot make bets on in-state college teams or collegiate events taking place in the state
✝✝ Cannot make prop bets on in-state college athletics
§ Cannot make bets on minor league games or in-state college teams
How Old Do You Have To Be To Do Pari-Mutuel Betting?
Pari-mutuel, or pool betting, is a common betting practice for dog and horse racing. There are 10 states that do not allow this type of gambling:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
Of the 39 states that do allow pari-mutuel gambling, most require you to be at least 18 years old to participate, though other states make the minimum age 21. Here’s a breakdown of the age requirements for pari-mutuel gambling in the 39 states that allow it:
| Age Requirements for States That Allow Pari-Mutuel Gambling | |
| State | Age |
| Arizona | 21 |
| Arkansas | 18 |
| California | 18 |
| Colorado | 18 |
| Connecticut | 18 |
| Delaware | 17 |
| Florida | 18 |
| Idaho | 18 |
| Illinois | 18 |
| Indiana | 18 |
| Iowa | 21 |
| Kansas | 21 |
| Kentucky | 18 |
| Louisiana | 18 |
| Maine | 18 |
| Maryland | 18 |
| Massachusetts | 18 |
| Michigan | 18 |
| Minnesota | 18 |
| Mississippi | 18 |
| Missouri | 18 |
| Montana | 18 |
| Nebraska | 18 |
| Nevada | 21 |
| New Hampshire | 21 |
| New Jersey | 18 |
| New Mexico | 18 |
| New York | 18 |
| North Dakota | 18 |
| Ohio | 18 |
| Oklahoma | 18 |
| Oregon | 18 |
| Pennsylvania | 18 |
| Rhode Island | 18 |
| South Dakota | 18 |
| Texas | 21 |
| Washington | 18 |
| West Virginia | 18 |
| Wisconsin | 21 |
| Wyoming | 18 |
Note: The age minimums presented reflect possible legal limits per our research, but these numbers should not be relied on for legal use. Always check with your state’s law enforcement agencies or with the casino/sportsbook/race track operators.
How Old Do You Have To Gamble in New Jersey?
In New Jersey, you typically have to be 21 years of age to play at your favorite New Jersey online casino or make a wager at an online sportsbook. You can read our reviews of the best welcome bonus offers for new players to find the best online casino or sportsbook for you.
Why It’s Important to Know the Legal Gambling Age
This guide to legal gambling ages throughout the country and based on different casino games is meant to provide a framework to help mitigate underage gamblers and illegal gambling while educating you on the nuances of age restrictions from one gambling form to the next and across various state lines.
Not only is it interesting how old you have to be to gamble in different states or on different forms of gambling, but the ongoing changes in the gambling industry are illustrated by the lack of consistency across the country and with the frequent changing of requirements.
Understanding the legal gambling age for your state is an important step for anyone interested in gambling online or in person at a casino.
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