For many new sports bettors, the minimum age requirement for legal sports betting is one of the single biggest concerns. Even at legal sports betting venues in 2021, underage gambling is viewed as a major offense that can prompt heavy fines or even jail time for sports betting operators, so sportsbooks are extremely strict about who they allow to gamble. Federal law provides fairly extensive guidelines for most forms of gambling, but it has always left the specificity of legal gambling age requirements to individual states. International online sportsbooks are free to set their own limits, but domestic providers are subject to state age requirements.

AOL latest headlines, entertainment, sports, articles for business, health and world news. The gambling age is the minimum age which one can legally gamble in a certain jurisdiction. In some of the countries, gambling is illegal, regardless of age, and in other countries, there are different age limits for different types of gambling. You can find all of this in the tables below.

Some states offer limited forms of gambling (bingo, charity games, etc.) starting well before the age of 18, but all states require that players be at least 18 years old to bet on sports. 35 states set their legal gambling age higher than 18, which is unfortunate for sports bettors. Thankfully, even in these states, legal sports betting is available to all players who are 18 years old as long as they use international online sportsbooks.

Use Sports Betting Sites When 18 To Bet On NFL

The great thing about legal online sportsbooks such as Bovada, BetOnline or MyBookie is that they require bettors around the country to be 18 years of age rather than 21 years of age in some states. No matter what state you are in, these sites will require you to be just 18. With that said, bettors can enjoy all of the NFL odds that are available right on your 1 birthday.

Sports Betting Ages By State

Each of the states with sports betting is different, but the legal sports betting age by state is almost always 21, while the legal lottery and pari-mutuel betting age is usually 18 (except for Alabama, where all gambling ages are 19 for some reason). The following age minimums for sports betting are what you should stick to, listed alphabetically by state. (Note: The states with an age range indicate areas where there is a different limit for commercial vs. tribal casino gaming and betting, and you can typically err on the side of the lower age.)

• Alabama Betting Age – 19
• Alaska Betting Age – 19
• Arizona Betting Age – 21
• Arkansas Betting Age – 21
• California Betting Age – 18-21
• Colorado Betting Age – 21
• Connecticut Betting Age – 21
• Delaware Betting Age – 21
• Florida Betting Age – 21
• Georgia Betting Age – 21
• Hawaii Betting Age – 18
• Idaho Betting Age – 21
• Illinois Betting Age – 21
• Indiana Betting Age – 21
• Iowa Betting Age – 21
• Kansas Betting Age – 21
• Kentucky Betting Age – 18

• Louisiana Betting Age – 21
• Maine Betting Age – 21
• Maryland Betting Age – 21
• Massachusetts Betting Age – 21
• Michigan Betting Age – 18-21
• Minnesota Betting Age – 18-21
• Mississippi Betting Age – 21
• Missouri Betting Age – 21
• Montana Betting Age – 18
• Nebraska Betting Age – 21
• Nevada Betting Age – 21
• New Hampshire Betting Age – 21
• New Jersey Betting Age – 21
• New Mexico Betting Age – 21
• New York Betting Age – 21
• North Carolina Betting Age – 21
• North Dakota Betting Age – 21

• Ohio Betting Age – 21
• Oklahoma Betting Age – 18-21
• Oregon Betting Age – 18-21
• Pennsylvania Betting Age – 21
• Rhode Island Betting Age – 18
• South Carolina Betting Age – 21
• South Dakota Betting Age – 21
• Tennessee Betting Age – 18
• Texas Betting Age – 21
• Utah Betting Age – 18
• Vermont Betting Age – 18
• Virginia Betting Age – 18
• Washington Betting Age – 18-21
• West Virginia Betting Age – 21
• Wisconsin Betting Age – 21
• Wyoming Betting Age – 18

Legal Sports Betting Age At Land-Based Sportsbooks

Generally speaking, the legal sports betting age at land-based sportsbooks is 21 years old. Now that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA, 1992) has been overturned, each state is allowed to set its own age minimums for its own sports wagering industry. Most states have chosen 21, as this aligns well with their existing gambling policies at the venues where new sports betting lounges are opening. In some ways, it’s silly to sort out any legal sports betting age by state, as almost all of them seem to be in agreement on this one point (and only this one point, truth be told).

The caveat here comes when the entirety of a state’s gambling market is tribal in nature, with casinos located totally on sovereign tribal land (i.e. reservations). In these states, there are often added challenges to getting new sports betting laws passed, as the tribes tend to have sweeping exclusivity deals as part of their state compacts. It is conceivable that in such states, where sports wagering is limited to tribal venues, that the sports betting age would be 18, in line with most pari-mutuel and lottery age minimums nationwide.

Legal Sports Betting Age At Online Sportsbooks

The legal sports betting age at online sportsbooks can be different depending on where you live. For example, Rhode Island, Oregon, and New Hampshire only require people who are using online sportsbooks to be 18 years old or older. However, in places such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, you have to be 21 years old or older in order to use legal sports betting sites. A general rule of thumb to follow is to check your state’s casino gambling laws as those are the ones usually used to define the required sports betting age.

When it comes to using online offshore sportsbooks, those sites usually require users to be 18 years old or older. However, if your state’s sports betting laws require bettors to be 21 years old or older than you will have to follow that guideline before using offshore options. This will ensure that you are totally safe when using these sites, otherwise, you may run the risk of running into trouble down the line. These offshore sites take underage gambling very seriously and those that are caught betting as a minor will have their winnings confiscated and their account terminated.

Betting Age To Bet On College Football

When it comes to betting on your favorite college team, online sportsbooks will have all the games that players would like to choose and bet from. There are plenty of prop bets that you can choose and most of the time these games are close and could turn out to help players win a lot of money. The age requirement is one thing that is very important and when it comes to online sportsbooks, all players have to be is 18 and older to sign up. So as exciting as it is to bet on your favorite college football team, make sure you’re old enough to place big wagers.

Betting Age To Bet On Basketball

With the NBA Season starts just weeks away, knowing the legal NBA betting age in your state is incredibly important. While it varies from state to state, most states requiring bettors to be at least 21 years old or older in order to wager, knowing the legal gambling age is a great way to be fully prepared to go into the NBA season. International sportsbooks operate legally in every state, even those that have yet to regulate legal sports betting in their legislations. With online sportsbooks, you can bet on your favorite NBA team by being at least 18 years old. Underage sports betting is prohibited and bettors who attempt to bet on the NBA while not being old enough could run into some trouble. It is important to know the legal age to bet on the NBA in your state before you try and wager.

Age To Bet On MLB Baseball

All American players must be at least 18 years old to bet on MLB baseball games, while bettors in some states have to be at least 21 years old to bet with state-licensed sportsbooks. With the coronavirus limiting the capability of most brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, most MLB betting in 2021 will take place online during the season. You will be required to provide proof of valid, government-issued ID before you can withdraw winnings from betting on baseball.

The Risk Of Underage Sports Betting

Underage gambling is strictly prohibited, and the act of such can result in real legal troubles. This is why knowing and understanding your state’s gambling laws is incredibly important. If you are caught attempting to bet on sports while under the required betting age by your state, then you run the risk of being permanently banned from the sportsbook, fined by the courts, or legally persecuted. Illegal gambling of any kind can result in misdemeanor or even felony charges. It Is an unnecessary risk to take place in underage gambling as the negatives are life-altering. Waiting until you are in the legal gambling age in your state is the best way to go.

Legal Horse Betting Age

The legal horse betting age is the same as it is for sports betting on the list above. Horse betting is one of the reasons that legal gambling ages exist in the first place, so it is no wonder that they use the same laws as casinos and sportsbooks. Overall, if you are 21 then you can bet on horses and are old enough to bet on sports anywhere in the world. If you are over 18, then you are only old enough to bet on horses in these states.

Alabama – California – Hawaii – Kentucky – Michigan – Montana – Oklahoma – Oregon – Rhode Island – Tennessee – Utah – Vermont – Virginia – Washigton – Wyoming

Why Is There A Minimum Age Limit To Bet On Sports?

When it comes to betting on sports inside of a casino sportsbook, there is often an age restriction because the sportsbook will serve alcohol on the premises. In order for the casino to keep their liquor license and comply with the federal law, everyone in their building must be 21 or older. Certain states, such as Rhode Island, have sportsbooks that accept bettors as young as 18 because the sports betting laws will allow them to. When it comes to betting on sports online most of the sites in the US will set their age restriction according to the state that they are based in. When using on offshore sports betting site, most of them will set their minimum age at 18 because that is the legal age to gamble in the country that they are based in.

How Do I Verify My Age To A Sportsbook?

With both land-based and online sportsbooks, you will need to provide legal documentation that shows you are legally old enough to bet on sports. This can be a standard government-issued ID. It is also a requirement at international sportsbooks, with online sports betting operations requiring ID in order to prevent you from making multiple accounts as well as ensuring they are sending the payments to the correct person. It is not a difficult process to prove your age at sportsbooks and if you are looking to bet on sports you must have documentation proving your age.

Is There An Age Limit To Go Inside Of A Sportsbook?

Yes, and as of right now, almost every legal land-based sportsbook in the US requires anyone trying to enter the venue to be 21 or older. Only Rhode Island, New York, and Montana will allow bettors as young as 18 to enter their sportsbook. Some casinos have their own betting apps or post their odds on their website so you can view lines from there, but in order to physically enter the casino or racino you must meet their age requirement.

Will I Get In Trouble If I Am Sports Betting Underage?

Where Can I Bet On Sports Under 21?

How Old Do You Have To Be To Gamble In Wyoming

As of right now, your only land-based options would be in Rhode Island and New York. Once Montana launches their sports betting operations those would become an option as well. The same goes for sports betting in New Hampshire. Oregon will let those 18 years old or older to use the lottery’s mobile sportsbook known as Scoreboard. Some states that are working on sports betting legislation are aiming to set the legal gambling age at 18 as well. We will update you as soon as we have confirmation on which states do so. Online offshore sportsbooks will normally accept members 18 or older, but it is best to comply with the age requirement set by your state. If you take a look at the list above, we have laid out which states you can start online sports betting under the age of 21.

What Is The Legal Age For Horse Betting?

Most states have set the legal age for horse race betting at 18 or older. This includes betting on live races and simulcast races. However, there are a handful of states, such as Arizona, that require pari-mutuel bettors to be 21 or older. There are even some states that say you have to be 19 or older to bet on the ponies, so be sure to check your state laws. Most online racebooks will require their users to be at least 18 or older in order to bet on the races.

Which Online Sportsbooks And Betting Apps Do Not Check Age?

What Is The Legal Betting Age At Bovada?

Bovada only requires that users be at least 18 years old, no matter what state they might live in. But, Bovada does not accept any players from Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, New York or Nevada. Players in all other states should still consult the betting age in their state and know if their age limit is higher. Though it is good to understand your local betting age, there has not been any reports of a single person arrested for underage gambling online. There are, however, consequences for someone who fails to meet minimum betting ages at Bovada or any other online sportsbook.

Gambling Law: An Overview

Gambling, though widespread in the United States, is subject to legislation at both the state and federal level that bans it from certain areas, limits the means and types of gambling, and otherwise regulates the activity.

Congress has used its power under the Commerce Clause to regulate interstate gambling, international gambling, and relations between the United States and Native American territories. For example, it has passed laws prohibiting the unauthorized transportation of lottery tickets between states, outlawing sports betting with certain exceptions, and regulating the extent to which gambling may exist on Native American land.

Each state determines what kind of gambling it allows within its borders, where the gambling can be located, and who may gamble. Each state has enacted different laws pertaining to these topics. The states also have differing legal gambling ages, with some states requiring the same minimum age for all types of gambling, while for others, it depends on the activity. For example, in New Jersey, an 18-year-old can buy a lottery ticket or bet on a horse race, but cannot enter a casino until age 21. Presumably, the age 21 restriction is due to the sale of alcohol in that location.

A standard strategy for avoiding laws that prohibit, constrain, or aggressively tax gambling is to locate the activity just outside the jurisdiction that enforces them, in a more 'gambling friendly' legal environment. Gambling establishments often exist near state borders and on ships that cruise outside territorial waters. Gambling activity has also exploded in recent years in Native American territory. Internet-based gambling takes this strategy and extends it to a new level of penetration, for it threatens to bring gambling directly into homes and businesses in localities where a physical gambling establishment could not conduct the same activity.

Internet Gambling

Federal Regulation

In the 1990s, when the World Wide Web was growing rapidly in popularity, online gambling appeared to represent an end-run around government control and prohibition. A site operator needed only to establish the business in a friendly offshore jurisdiction such as the Bahamas and begin taking bets. Anyone with access to a web browser could find the site and place wagers by credit card. Confronted with this blatant challenge to American policies, the Department of Justice and Congress explored the applicability of current law and the desirability of new regulation for online gambling.

In exploring whether an offshore Internet gambling business taking bets from Americans violated federal law, attention was focused on the Wire Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1084 (2000). The operator of a wagering business is at risk of being fined and imprisoned under the Wire Act if the operator knowingly uses a 'wire communication facility' to transmit information related to wagering on 'any sporting event or contest.' 18 U.S.C. § 1084(a). An exception exists if that act is legal in both the source and destination locations of the transmission. § 1084(b). The Wire Act’s definition of “wire communication facility” appears to embrace the nation's entire telecommunications infrastructure, and therefore probably applies to online gambling. See § 1081.

The Department of Justice maintains that, under the Wire Act, all Internet gambling by bettors in the United States is illegal. U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary Hearing on Establishing Consistent Enforcement Policies in the Context of Online Wagers, 110th Cong., Nov. 14, 2007 (testimony of Catherine Hanaway, U.S. Attorney (E.D. Mo.), Dept. of Justice). The Fifth Circuit disagreed, ruling that the Wire Act applies only to sports betting, not other types of gambling. In re MasterCard Int’l Inc., 313 F.3d 257 (5th Cir. 2002).

In 2006, Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which made it illegal for wagering businesses to knowingly accept payment in connection with unlawful Internet gambling (though it does not itself make Internet gambling illegal). 109 Pub. L. 109-347, Title VIII (Oct. 13, 2006) (codified at 31 U.S.C. §§ 5301, 5361–67). It also authorizes the Federal Reserve System to create regulations that prohibit financial transaction providers (banks, credit card companies, etc.) from accepting those payments. See 31 U.S.C. § 5363(4). This Act, along with threats of prosecution under the Wire Act from the Department of Justice, has caused several Internet gambling businesses to withdraw from the U.S. market.

In response, House Representatives introduced multiple bills in 2007 to soften federal Internet gambling law. If passed, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act and the Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act would license, regulate, and tax Internet gambling businesses rather than prohibit them from taking bets from the United States. Alternatively, the Skill Game Protection Act would clarify the Wire Act to exempt certain games such as poker and chess.

State Regulation

In addition to federal measures, some states have enacted legislation to prohibit some types of Internet gambling. In 2006, Washington State amended its Code to make knowingly transmitting or receiving gambling information over the Internet a felony. See Wash. Rev. Code § 9.46.240 (2006). Other states with similar prohibitions have made it a misdemeanor instead. See e.g., 720 ILCS 5/28-1 (2007).

States have not been particularly active in enforcing these laws, possibly due to a conflict with the dormant Commerce Clause doctrine. That doctrine theorizes that state law applying to commerce outside the state’s borders is unconstitutional because that power lies with federal, not state, government. In particular, federal preemption has obstructed states’ attempts to regulate gambling activity on Indian reservations within state borders. See Missouri ex rel. Nixon v. Coeur D’Alene Tribe, 164 F.3d 1102 (8th Cir. 1999). The federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, 25 U.S.C. § 29 (2000), governs gambling activity on Indian reservations, but the extent to which it and other federal gambling laws preempt state action in the Internet arena is uncertain.

Gambling Age In Wyoming

menu of sources

Is There Gambling In Wyoming

Federal Material

U.S. Constitution and Federal Statutes

• U.S. Code: Title 15, Chapter 24: Transportation of Gambling Devices
• U.S. Code: Title 15, Chapter 57, Interstate Horseracing
• U.S. Code: Title 18, Chapter 50: Gambling
• U.S. Code: Title 18, Chapter 61: Lotteries
• 18 U.S.C. §1953 (Interstate Transportation of Wagering Paraphernalia Act)
• 18 U.S.C. §1955 (Illegal Gambling Business Act of 1970)
• 25 U.S.C. §§2701-2721 (Indian Gaming Regulatory Act)
• U.S. Code: Title 28, Chapter 178: Professional and Amateur Sports Protection
• Code of Federal Regulations: Title 25, Chapter 3: National Indian Gaming Commission, Department of the Interior
• Proposed Internet Gambling Prohibition Act of 1997 (not passed)

Federal Judicial Decisions

• Greater New Orleans Broadcasting Association, Inc. v. United States, 527 U.S. 173 (1999)
• Ratzlaf v. United States, 510 U.S. 135 (1994)
• Chickasaw Nation v. United States, 534 U.S. 84 (1999)

State Material

Other References

• '14 Charged in Internet Betting' (Washington Post, March 5, 1998)

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