In modern times, a lot of people tend to disregard the laws relating to legal gambling age. Whether it’s something as small as $1 scratch-off lottery tickets, or as potentially troublesome as using a fake ID to enter a casino, minors often look for ways to place wagers, flouting local law, either by negligence or ignorance.

Time and again, I’ve seen parents give their children a couple dollars to load in the scratch-off lottery ticket machine at the local retail store. This is clear and blatant disregard for the law. Everyone knows minors cannot gamble, but even the employees don’t seem to care, so long as an adult is there to condone it.

Many times, young teenagers have been caught swiping a parent’s credit card or and using it to gamble online, playing poker, slot machines, blackjack, roulette, you name it. Online casino games are just as illegal for minors as the land-based variety.

While the vast majority of these people are well aware that they’re not old enough to gamble, that’s not the case in all situations. Some people genuinely don’t know the gambling age limits, especially when traveling outside their native land.

Growing up in Quebec, Canada, for example, I learned early on that one must be 18 to be considered of legal gambling age. When I visited British Columbia at that age, I was surprised when Chances Casino in Prince Rupert told me to get out after checking my ID. Turns out, you must be 19 to gamble in BC. Who knew?

I didn’t know then, but I certainly do now. And by the time you finish reading this, you will too. We’ll go over the legal age to gamble in Canada’s 10 provinces, as well as some other major countries around the globe.

Update 2024: Ontario has opened up its market to regulation in April of 2022. Gaming is strictly 19 +.

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The Legal Gambling Age in Canada – Provinces and Territories

Canada is made up of 10 provinces, but not all of them allow gambling at the same age. The following is a list of all Canadian provinces and territories, in alphabetical order, and the age at which people are considered old enough to gamble. Note that all forms of gambling become available at the same age – lottery, casino, poker, pari-mutuel race betting, etc.

Current Legal Gambling Age in the US States by Type

Laws are a bit different in the United States, where the legal gambling age can vary by what type of wager one intends to place, or which government body is running it. For example, tribal casinos may have different rules than state casinos. Such is the case in California, where some tribes agree with the state’s 18+ rule, while others enforce a 21+ age restriction.

Furthermore, the type of gambling can impact the legal age limit in US states. In Nebraska, for instance, you can play bingo at 18, and buy a lottery ticket at 19, but you can’t play poker or casino games until you’re 21.

For this reason, we’ve expanded the US chart to cover Bingo, Casino, Lottery, Pari-Mutuel (horse race), Poker and Sports betting. In the case where the age is listed as N/A, that particular activity is not available, illegal, or both.

Legal Age to Gamble in Other Countries and Jurisdictions Around the World

Last but not least, we’ll observe age restrictions in other major countries. In this section, we’re focusing primarily on the legal age to gamble at casinos around the world. Please check local regulations in regard to other forms of gambling.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is meant for educational reference only. While it is, to the best of our knowledge, accurate at time of writing, it may no longer be accurate at your time of reading. Please check with an attorney or local law enforcement agency in your jurisdiction of choice to verify the current and valid legal age to gamble.