Gambling age for sport betting
Sports betting, including parimutuel betting, is strictly regulated in most countries. This is true both for minimum gambling ages and for who is allowed to take bets. Sport betting is a lucrative business which means that illegal bookmakers are commonplace in many parts of the worlds. We strongly recommend using reputable legal gambling operations in countries where such are available. If you cannot locate a legal gambling operation in your area, we recommend using a licensed sportsbook online rather than support illegal operations in your area.
The gambling age is enforced to different degrees in different countries and states, but it is important to remember that just because a rule is not strictly enforced it doesn't mean that it does not exist. If you play despite being underage it is possible that any winnings will be forfeited if you are found out.
In the United States, gambling age for sport betting is regulated by the states. The age limit varies but is most commonly 18 years. There are however several states where you need to be 19 or 21 to be allowed to play. There are also states that lack a legal gambling age.
North Dakota is something of a special case since they have two different gambling ages. The gambling age is 18 years if you visit the tracks yourself, while other types of gambling require you to be at least 21 years old.
Below you can find a list of the gambling age for sports betting in the United States.
Minimum Gambling Age for State Parimutuel Betting
Alabama 19
Alaska n/a
Arizona 21
Arkansas 18
California 18
Colorado 18
Connecticut 18
Delaware 18
District of Columbia n/a
Florida 18
Georgia n/a
Hawaii n/a
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 n/a
Missouri 18
Montana 18
Nebraska 18
Nevada 21
New Hampshire 21
New Jersey 18
New Mexico 18
New York 18
North Carolina n/a
North Dakota 18 trackside / 21 OTB
Ohio 18
Oklahoma 18
Oregon 18
Pennsylvania 18
Puerto Rico 18
Rhode Island 18
South Carolina n/a
South Dakota 18
Tennessee 18
Texas 21
Utah n/a
Vermont n/a
Virgin Islands 21
Virginia 18
Washington 18
West Virginia 18
Wisconsin 18
Wyoming 18
Information may be wrong and should not be considered legal advice. Check with a lawyer to make sure.
If you plan on travelling abroad you should check the legal gambling age in each country you are going to visit and gamble in individually. The gambling age can vary greatly even between bordering nations (just like with US states) and you should therefore never assume that the gambling age is a certain age in one country based on what it is in a neighboring nation. There are numerous countries where gambling is illegal alltogether and where you might face severe penalties if you gamble. This is true even if you just visits these countries as a tourist.