Gambling age

In various jurisdictions, the gambling age is the minimum age which one can gamble. In some countries, gambling is illegal for all people regardless of age, so a minimum age does not exist. In other countries, there are different age limits for different types of gambling.

Countries

Oceania

Country	Age	Notes
Australia	18[1]
Federated States of Micronesia	Dependent on State law[2]	Chuuk - N/A (gambling illegal)[3] Yap - N/A (gambling illegal)[4]
Kiribati	18[5]
Marshall Islands	N/A	Gambling is illegal, with minor exceptions for non-profit bingo, raffles and cakewalks.[6]
Nauru	18[7]
New Zealand	20 (casinos), 18 (horse racing), 18 (instant kiwi) None (other (including lottery))[8]
Palau	18	Gambling is illegal in Palau, with exceptions for social gambling, non-profit organisations and offshore gambling.[9] The social gambling age is tied to the age of majority,[10] which is 18 under Palauan law.[11]
Papua New Guinea	None
Solomon Islands	18[12]	People below the age of 18 can gamble with parental permission in a private dwelling-house or in the presence of a parent.[12] For certain small lotteries, one only needs to be 16 in order to buy a ticket.[13]
Tokelau	N/A	Gaming is illegal (defined as "a game for money with cards or with dice").[14]
Tuvalu	18[15]	People below the age of 18 can gamble with parental permission in a private dwelling-house or in the presence of a parent.[15] For certain small lotteries, one only needs to be 16 in order to buy a ticket.[16]
Vanuatu	18[17][18]	The given references only prevent people under the age of 18 from gambling online and gambling in casinos.

Europe

By countries:

Country/territory	Minimum age	Notes
Abkhazia	18
Albania	18[19]
Andorra	None	There are no laws against gambling in Andorra.
Austria	18[20]
Belarus	18[21]
Belgium	21[22]
Bosnia and Herzegovina	None
Bulgaria	18[23]
Croatia	18, None (non-casino machines, and private)
Czech Republic	18[24]
Denmark	18; None (sports betting)[25]
Estonia	21 (casinos); 16 (other)[26]
Faroe Islands	18
Finland	18[27]	Increased from 15 to 18 years in October 2010 (slot machines had a transition time to raise the age limit to 18 until July 2011)[28]
France	18[29]	Lowered from 21 to 18 on May 5, 1987 for casinos.[30]
Germany	18[31]
Gibraltar	18[32]
Greece	21[33]
Guernsey	18
Hungary	18[34]
Iceland	18 (casinos), 15 (lottery)[35]
Ireland	18[36]
Isle of Man	18
Italy	18
Jersey	21[37]
Kosovo	18[38]
Latvia	18[39]
Liechtenstein	18[40]
Lithuania	18[41]
Luxembourg	18[42]
Malta	18[43]
Moldova	18[44]
Monaco	18[45]
Montenegro	18[46]
Netherlands	18[47]
North Macedonia	18
Norway	18[48]
Poland	18[49]
Portugal	25 (some casinos) 18 (some other casinos, and all other types)[33]	Portugal has complicated gambling laws. It depends on each casino, and there are even some casinos which allow tourists from the age of 18, and local people from 25.
Romania	18[50]
San Marino	18[51]
Serbia	18[52]
Slovakia	18[53]
Slovenia	18[54]
Spain	18[33]
Sweden	20 (casinos),[55] 18 (other)[56]
Switzerland	18[57]
Turkey	18
Ukraine	18[58]
UK (United Kingdom)	18, 16 None (see the table below for more information)[59]
Vatican City	None

United Kingdom

Gambling ages in the United Kingdom are set out in the Gambling Act 2005: Part 4, Protection of children and young persons.

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, B4, C)	18	47 and 48
Gaming machine (Machine category: D)	None	46 (2)(e) and 48 (2)(e)
National lottery	16	48 (2)(c)
Scratchcards	16	48 (2)(c)
Football pool	16	48 (2)(d)
Private or non-commercial gaming and betting	None	48 (2)(a)&(b)
Equal chance gaming in accordance with a prize gaming permit, or Equal chance gaming at a licensed family entertainment centre	None	48 (2)(f)&(g)
Prize gaming at a non-licensed family entertainment centre, or Prize gaming at a travelling fair	None	48 (2)(h)&(i)

Asia

Country/territory	Minimum age	Notes
Akrotiri and Dhekelia	18
Afghanistan	Illegal; None (online)	Casinos and lottery are forbidden, BUT online gambling is legal at any age.
Armenia	21[60]
Azerbaijan	18
Bahrain	Illegal
Bangladesh	None
British Indian Ocean Territory	18
Brunei Darussalam	Illegal
Cambodia	None
China	Illegal (casinos)[61] 18 (lottery)	Gambling is illegal in China, and people often go to Macau and Hong Kong to gamble. But lottery gambling is not.
Christmas Island	18
Cocos (Keeling) Islands	18
Cyprus	18[62]
Georgia	18
Hong Kong	18
India	21[63]
Indonesia	Illegal	Gambling is illegal in Indonesia, and people often go to Japan to gamble.
Israel	18[64]
Japan	20[65]	Majority is lowered to 18, but gambling age still stays at 20 (both lottery and casino).
Kyrgyzstan	18
Laos	18[66]
Lebanon	21[67]
Macau	21
Malaysia	21	Resorts World Genting in Genting Highlands is the only casino in Malaysia. Muslims are not allowed to participate.
Maldives	Illegal
Mongolia	None
Myanmar	18
Northern Cyprus	18
Pakistan	Illegal
Philippines	21 (casinos) 18 (lottery)
Qatar	Illegal
Russia	18
Saudi Arabia	Illegal
Singapore	21
South Korea	19
Syria	Illegal[68]
Taiwan	21
Thailand	18 Casino	20 Lotto
Tajikistan	18
UAE	21
Vietnam	21

Africa

Country/territory	Minimum age	Notes
Algeria	Illegal;
Angola	18
Botswana	18
Burkina Faso	18
Cote d'Ivoire	21
Djibouti	18 (casinos) None (other types)
Egypt	21[69]
Equatorial Guinea	None
Eritrea	Illegal; None (online)
Ethiopia	Illegal; None (online)
Gabon	None	There is no official gambling age, although many incorrectly believe it to be 18.
Ghana	18[70]
Guinea	18
Guinea Bissau	None	There is no official gambling age, although many incorrectly believe it to be 18.
Libya	Illegal
Malawi	18 [71]
Mali	18 [72]
Mauritania	Illegal
Morocco	18[73]
Mozambique	18
Namibia	21[74]
Niger	21 (some casinos) 18 (some other casinos, and all other types)
Nigeria	20[75]
Senegal	18
Seychelles	18
Somalia	Illegal
South Africa	18[76]
South Sudan	None
Sudan	Illegal
Tanzania	18
Tunisia	None	Legal at any age: from unsuccessful attempt to declare it illegal at any age.
Uganda	18

North America

Country/territory	Minimum age	Notes
Anguilla	None, but currently casinos do not exist there
Antigua and Barbuda	18[77]
Bahamas	21[78]
Barbados	18[79]
Belize	18[80]
British Virgin Islands	Illegal
Canada	Casinos: 19, 18 in Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec Lottery: 18, 19 in British Columbia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador
Cayman Islands	18
Costa Rica	18
Cuba	Illegal
Dominica	18
Dominican Republic	18[81]
El Salvador	18
Greenland	18
Guatemala	18[82]
Haiti	18[83]
Honduras	18[84]
Jamaica	18[85]
Mexico	18
Nicaragua	18[86]
Panama	18
Puerto Rico	18[87]
Saint Kitts and Nevis	21
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	18
Saint Lucia	18
Turks and Caicos Islands	18
US Virgin Islands	21 (casinos); 18 (other)[88]
United States State Minimum age Notes Alabama 19 Alaska 21 Arizona 21 Arkansas 21 California 18 Colorado 21 Connecticut 21 Delaware 21 District Columbia 18 Florida 18 Georgia 18 Hawaii 21 Idaho 18 Illinois 21 Indiana 21 Iowa 21 Kansas 21 Kentucky 18 Louisiana 21 Maine 21(Casinos) 18(Lottery) Maryland 21 Massachusetts 21 Michigan 18 Minnesota 18 Mississippi 21 Missouri 21 Montana 18 Nebraska 21 Nevada 21 New Hampshire 21 New Jersey 21 New Mexico 21 New York 18 North Carolina 21 North Dakota 21, or 18 Ohio 21, or 18 Oklahoma 18 Oregon 21 (casinos), 18 (other) Pennsylvania 21 Rhode Island 18 South Dakota 21 South Carolina 21 Tennessee 18 Texas 21 Utah 21 Vermont 21 Virginia 21 (casinos), 18 (other) Washington 18 West Virginia 21 Wisconsin 21 Wyoming 21	21, 19, 18 (depends on state)[89]

South America

Country/territory	Minimum age	Notes
Argentina	18[90]
Aruba	18[91]	Often unenforced.
Bolivia	18[92]
Brazil	18[93]
Chile	18[94]
Colombia	18[95]
Curacao	18[96]
Ecuador	18[97]
Falkland Islands	18
French Guiana	18
Guyana	18[98]
Paraguay	18[99]
Saudi Arabia	18[100]
UAE	18[101]
Peru	18
Suriname	18
Trinidad and Tobago	18
Uruguay	18
Macau	21
UAE	21
Venezuela	18

Antarctica

Country/territory	Minimum age	Notes
Antarctica	None
French Southern and Antarctic Lands	18
Heard and McDonald Islands	18
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	18

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