Gambling Age by State

The legal gambling age in the United States varies widely by state and by the type of gambling activity. There is no single national minimum age; each state sets its own rules for casino gambling, sports betting, online wagering, lottery tickets, and charity games. The only way to know the legal age for a specific gambling product in a specific state is to check the state’s specific laws.

Online sports betting, a fast-growing category, has a legal age of 21 or older in most states that allow it. Only a few jurisdictions, including Montana, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Wyoming, allow 18-year-olds to wager on sports in some markets. In those states, the betting is either offered through regulated private operators or conducted through existing tribal or state-run venues.

For casino-style gaming, the legal age is also 21 in most states with legal gambling, but a handful of states have either 18- or mixed-age rules.

Lottery and pari-mutuel wagering, generally found at track and off-track betting parlors, use 18 as the minimum age in the bulk of states that allow each. However, Rhode Island also sets 18 years as the minimum age to enter casinos and play slots. Casino and slot machine minimum ages climb to 21 in a few lottery states, notably Michigan, New Jersey, and Ohio.

The most important practical takeaway is that there is no one legal gambling age in the U.S. When in doubt, check the specific rules for the specific gambling product you’re thinking of in your specific state to be sure of the legal age minimum.