Legal Gambling Age by State 2025

People in most US states can start gambling when they turn 21. Still, a few states make an exception to have an age limit for casino-style games set at 18, particularly for land-based casinos. Here are the states where you can play at land-based casinos as soon as you turn 18:

California

Idaho

Michigan

Minnesota

Montana

Oklahoma

Rhode Island

Washington

Wyoming

The legal age to go to a casino is different for each state and even for each casino. In most states, one has to be 21 to gamble. This is especially true in Las Vegas, famous for the Bellagio, Caesars Palace, and The Venetian casinos on its strip.

In some states, like Idahoal and Minnesota, only Native American tribes can operate tribal casinos. The legal requirements there may be less strict, but most of the time one has to be 18 or older to play.

So, in the majority of cases, the legal age to gamble is the same as the legal drinking age Illegal 21. Although I have to say that in Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, and some other places, the legal age to enter a casino starts from 18, so it is worth checking out before deciding to gamble in a brick-and-mortar establishment.

Also, keep in mind that several states don’t allow land-based casinos at all, regardless of how old you are. Among them are Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Vermont.

Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia are the only states that allow gamers who like gambling online to partake in their hobby. In these states, the casino age requirement is 21 or older, no matter if you want to play on slot machines, blackjack, roulette, or other games. You can also play in Nevada, although only poker is available to users right now. I also want to remind you that the rules may be different for sweepstakes casinos. I advise you to check these rules before playing.

Poker rooms can be found in casinos or in separate card clubs. When playing in a poker room, you do not play against the casino, but against other players. So, at what age can you gamble in poker rooms? In most places, the legal poker age is 21 and older. You can play it in Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. However, in some states, the age to play poker can be as low as 18. For example, California, Florida, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wyoming have set their casino gambling age to 18 and older.

You can often see people playing bingo in churches or at various charity events. There is generally no age limit for bingo, as it is a social occasion that is more about having fun and being with others than it is about gambling. This makes the bingo age requirement less strict in general. Across the country, the usual age to play bingo is 18. Some states, however, have a bingo age limit set at 16, which allows teenagers to join the adults in the fun.

Although, I have to say that there are exceptions. As I said above, Hawaii and Utah, for example, have strict state laws that ban all kinds of gambling. This means, you won’t be able to play bingo games there and no legal age to play bingo is set in the states.

Lottery age by state varies, but, in the majority of places, you can buy a ticket once you turn 18. However, a few places have different rules. For example, in Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, and Mississippi, the lottery age limit is 21. I find Nebraska is an interesting exception here, as the age to play the lottery there is 19.

In some states, the lottery is considered a type of illegal gambling. In Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah, you won’t be able to participate in it at all. So, if you’re going to another state and want to try your luck playing the lottery, it’s a good idea to look up the requirements beforehand.

Horse racing betting is another type of gambling, and each state has its own restrictions about how old you have to be to participate in it. The legal age of gambling here also varies by state. In most places, you can start betting at 18. A few states have stricter local laws — in Iowa and Nevada, for example, you need to be at least 21. Lastly, Alaska, Georgia, Hawaii, South Carolina, and Utah are the only states where horse racing betting is against the law.

In 2018, the Supreme Court removed the federal ban on sports betting, and I was really happy since I really enjoy watching sports games and betting on them. The rules for sports betting, though, differ by state quite a bit. In New Mexico, for example, you can only bet on tribal land. People in Mississippi can bet using mobile applications, but only if they are inside a casino. So, even if sports betting is generally legal in the country, it’s still a good idea to check the rules in your state.

The sports betting age by state varies, too. Most set it at 21, though in Kentucky, Montana, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Wyoming, the age for sports betting is 18. And, of course, some parts of the country still haven’t legalized sports betting at all, offline or online. As of 2025, the activity remains prohibited in Alabama, Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah.

I’ve always enjoyed daily fantasy sports. The process of selecting a virtual team of real sportspeople, NFL, NBA, MLB, or any sport you like, and competing depending on the performance of these players throughout the season has always fascinated me, as it allows sports fans to dive deeper into their hobby and connect with other interested in it.

When it comes to age restrictions, these, as always, depend on the state. Most let you join once you’re 18. In Arizona, Iowa, Louisiana, and Massachusetts, the legal betting age is 21. In Alabama, it’s 19. Also, worth mentioning that you can’t legally gamble on fantasy sports in Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Washington.

1. https://casinoshunter.com/hub/gambling-age/
2. https://www.usalegalbetting.com/betting-guides/what-age-can-i-gamble/
3. https://www.americangaming.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/AGA-State-of-the-States-2025.pdf
4. https://www.americangaming.org/research/state-of-play-map/