The gambling age is an aspect of gambling law — the minimum age at which one can legally gamble in a certain jurisdiction. In some countries, gambling is illegal regardless of age, while some countries have different age limits for different types of gambling, and some countries have no explicit minimum gambling age.

Oceania

CountryAgeNotes
Australia18The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 passed by the Commonwealth Parliament of Australia banned online gambling in the form of casinos and slots.
Federated States of Micronesia Federated States of MicronesiaDependent on State lawChuuk State Chuuk and Yap State Yap – illegal
Kiribati Kiribati18
Marshall Islands Marshall IslandsIllegal for all agesGambling is illegal except for non-profit bingo, raffles and cakewalks.
Nauru Nauru18
New Zealand20 (casinos) 18 (horse racing and instant kiwi) None (other types, including lottery)
Palau Palau18Gambling is illegal in Palau except for social gambling, non-profit organisations, and offshore gambling. The social gambling age is tied to the age of majority, which is 18 under Palauan law.
Papua New GuineaNone
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands18People below the age of 18 can gamble with parental permission in a private dwelling-house or in the presence of a parent. For certain small lotteries, the minimum age to purchase a ticket is 16.
Tokelau TokelauIllegal for all agesGaming is illegal in Tokelau (defined as "a game for money with cards or with dice").
Tuvalu Tuvalu18People below the age of 18 can gamble with parental permission in a private dwelling-house or in the presence of a parent. For certain small lotteries, one only needs to be 16 in order to buy a ticket.
Vanuatu Vanuatu18The given references only prevent people under the age of 18 from gambling online or in casinos.

Europe

Country/territoryMinimum ageNotes
Albania18
AndorraNone
Austria18
Belarus18
Belgium21 (casinos) 18 (national lottery)
Bosnia and Herzegovina18
Bulgaria18
Croatia Croatia18 (excluding non-casino machines and private)
Cyprus18
Czech Republic18
Denmark18 (except sports betting)
Estonia21 (casinos) 18 (sports betting, national lottery)
Faroe Islands18
Finland Finland18
France France18Lowered from 21 to 18 on May 5, 1987, for casinos.
Germany Germany18–21Varies by state and type of gambling; lotteries and casinos are generally rated above 18, except for casinos in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria and Lower Saxony, which are rated above 21.
Gibraltar18
Greece Greece21 (casinos, online betting, VLT) 18 (offline betting at OPAP betting shops and authorized resellers)
Georgia25, or 18 for foreign citizens and stateless persons
Guernsey18
Hungary18
Iceland18
Republic of Ireland Ireland18
Isle of Man18
Italy Italy18
Kosovo KosovoIllegal for all agesGambling was outlawed in 2019 for 10 years due to a string of murders that occurred in casinos that year.
Latvia18
Liechtenstein18
Lithuania18
Luxembourg18
Malta18, or 25 for Maltese citizens
Moldova18
Monaco Monaco18
Montenegro Montenegro18
Netherlands18
Northern Cyprus18
North Macedonia18
Norway18
Poland Poland18
Portugal Portugal25 (some casinos) 18 (some casinos, and all other types)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.
Romania18On 16 February 2026, the senate passed a bill to raise the age limit to 21.
San Marino San Marino18
Serbia Serbia18
Slovakia18
Slovenia18
Spain Spain18
Sweden20 (casinos) 18 (other types)
Switzerland18
TurkeyIllegal for all ages (casinos) 18 (lotteries)Gambling is illegal in Turkey except for lotteries and horse races.
Ukraine18
United Kingdom UK (United Kingdom)Age variable by bet: 18 16 None (See the table for more information)Gambling ages in the United Kingdom are set out in theGambling Act 2005: Part 4, Protection of children and young persons.Type of gamblingMinimum ageRelevant 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.1846, 47, 48 and 49 Gaming machine (Machine category: A, B1, B2, B3, B3A, B4, C)1847 and 48 Gaming machine (Machine category: D)None46 (2)(e) and 48 (2)(e) Lotteries1648 (2)(c) Football pool1648 (2)(d) Private or non-commercial gaming and bettingNone48 (2)(a)&(b) Equal chance gaming in accordance with a prize gaming permit, or Equal chance gaming at a licensed family entertainment centreNone48 (2)(f)&(g) Prize gaming at a non-licensed family entertainment centre, or Prize gaming at a travelling fairNone48 (2)(h)&(i)
Type of gamblingMinimum ageRelevant 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.1846, 47, 48 and 49
Gaming machine (Machine category: A, B1, B2, B3, B3A, B4, C)1847 and 48
Gaming machine (Machine category: D)None46 (2)(e) and 48 (2)(e)
Lotteries1648 (2)(c)
Football pool1648 (2)(d)
Private or non-commercial gaming and bettingNone48 (2)(a)&(b)
Equal chance gaming in accordance with a prize gaming permit, or Equal chance gaming at a licensed family entertainment centreNone48 (2)(f)&(g)
Prize gaming at a non-licensed family entertainment centre, or Prize gaming at a travelling fairNone48 (2)(h)&(i)
Vatican CityNone

Asia

Country/territoryMinimum ageNotes
Akrotiri and Dhekelia18
Afghanistan AfghanistanIllegal for all agesAll casinos and lotteries are forbidden.
Armenia21
Azerbaijan18
Bahrain BahrainIllegal for all ages
BangladeshNone
British Indian Ocean Territory18
Brunei DarussalamIllegal for all ages
CambodiaNone
ChinaIllegal for all ages 18 (lotteries)Gambling is illegal in China except for lotteries. Macau and Hong Kong are exceptions to these laws and have their own legal frameworks allowing casinos and other forms of betting.
Christmas Island18
Cocos (Keeling) Islands18
Hong Kong18Gambling is illegal in China except for lotteries. Hong Kong is an exception to these laws and has its own legal frameworks allowing casinos and other forms of betting.
IranIllegal for all ages
Iraq IraqIllegal for all agesAll forms of gambling are forbidden under Sharia.
India21According to Public Gambling Act 1867, gambling is considered as illegal in the majority of the regions across the country.
IndonesiaIllegal for all agesAll forms of gambling are illegal.
Israel18
Japan20 18 (pachinko)Majority is lowered to 18, but gambling age still stays at 20 (for lotteries and casinos).
Jordan JordanIllegal for all ages
Kyrgyzstan18
Laos18
Lebanon21
Macau Macau21 18 (lottery, sports betting, racing)Gambling is illegal in China except for lotteries. Macau is an exception to these laws and has its own legal frameworks allowing casinos and other forms of betting.
Malaysia21 Illegal for all ages (Muslims)Resorts World Genting in Genting Highlands is the only casino in Malaysia as of 2025.
MaldivesIllegal for all ages
MongoliaNone
Myanmar18
North Korea North KoreaNoneCasinos in North Korea are intended for foreign visitors. There is no publicly available, authoritative source that specifies a minimum legal age for lotteries.
PakistanIllegal for all ages
Philippines21 (casinos) 18 (lottery)
QatarIllegal for all ages
Russia18
Saudi Arabia Saudi ArabiaIllegal for all ages
Singapore21 (casinos) 18 (lottery, sports betting, racing)
South Korea19
Sri Lanka21 (lotteries)
SyriaIllegal for all ages
Taiwan20
Tajikistan18
ThailandIllegal for all ages (casinos) 20 (lottery)Gambling is illegal in Thailand, except for the Government lottery.
Timor-Leste18Only the Government lottery and licensed slot machines are legal.
TurkeyIllegal for all ages (casinos) 18 (lotteries)Gambling is illegal in Turkey except for lotteries and horse races.
UAEIllegal for all ages (casinos) 21 (lotteries)
Vietnam Vietnam21

Africa

Country/territoryMinimum ageNotes
Algeria AlgeriaIllegal for all ages
Angola18
Botswana Botswana18
Burkina Faso18
Cote d'Ivoire21
Djibouti Djibouti18 (casinos) None (other types)
Egypt Egypt21
Equatorial GuineaNone
EritreaIllegal for all ages None (online)
EthiopiaIllegal for all ages None (online)
GabonNoneThere is no official gambling age; many erroneously believe it to be 18.
Ghana Ghana18
Guinea18
Guinea BissauNoneThere is no official gambling age; many erroneously believe it to be 18.
Libya LibyaIllegal for all ages
Malawi Malawi18
Mali18
Mauritania MauritaniaIllegal for all ages
Morocco Morocco18
Mozambique18
Namibia Namibia21
Niger21 (some casinos) 18 (some other casinos, all other types)
Nigeria18
Rwanda18
Senegal18
Seychelles18
Somalia SomaliaIllegal for all ages
South Africa South Africa18
South SudanNone
Sudan SudanIllegal for all ages
Tanzania Tanzania18
Tunisia TunisiaNoneLegal at any age: unsuccessful attempts have been made to declare gambling illegal outright or impose a minimum age.
Uganda Uganda25

North America

Country/territoryMinimum ageNotes
AnguillaNoneCasinos do not exist in Anguilla as of 2023
Antigua and Barbuda18
Bahamas18
Barbados18
Belize18
British Virgin Islands18
Canada18–19 (varies by province)Province Minimum age Notes Alberta 18 (casinos) 18 (lottery) British Columbia 19 (casinos) 19 (lottery) Manitoba 18 (casinos) 18 (lottery) New Brunswick 19 (casinos) 19 (lottery) Newfoundland and Labrador 19 (casinos) 19 (lottery) Nova Scotia 19 (casinos) 19 (lottery) Ontario 19 (casinos) 18 (lottery) Prince Edward Island 19 (casinos) 19 (lottery) Quebec 18 (casinos) 18 (lottery) Saskatchewan 19 (casinos) 18 (lottery)
ProvinceMinimum ageNotes
Alberta18 (casinos) 18 (lottery)
British Columbia19 (casinos) 19 (lottery)
Manitoba18 (casinos) 18 (lottery)
New Brunswick19 (casinos) 19 (lottery)
Newfoundland and Labrador19 (casinos) 19 (lottery)
Nova Scotia19 (casinos) 19 (lottery)
Ontario19 (casinos) 18 (lottery)
Prince Edward Island19 (casinos) 19 (lottery)
Quebec18 (casinos) 18 (lottery)
Saskatchewan19 (casinos) 18 (lottery)
Cayman Islands18
Costa Rica18
CubaIllegal for all ages
Dominica18
Dominican Republic18
El Salvador18
Greenland18
Guatemala18
Haiti18
Honduras18
Jamaica18
Mexico18
Nicaragua18
Panama18
Puerto Rico18
Saint Kitts and Nevis18
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines18
Saint Lucia18
Turks and Caicos Islands21
US Virgin Islands21 (casinos) 18 (other)
United States18, 19, 21 or illegal (varies by state)State Minimum age Notes Alabama 19 Alaska 21 Arizona 21 Arkansas 21 California 21 or 18 (casinos) 18 (Lottery) Colorado 21 (casinos) 18 (lottery) Connecticut 21 Delaware 21 (casinos) 18 (lottery) District of Columbia 18 Florida 21 (casinos) 18 (lottery) Georgia 18 Hawaii Illegal for all ages Idaho 18 Illinois 21 Indiana 21 Iowa 21 Kansas 21 Kentucky 18 Louisiana 21 Maine 21 (casinos) 18 (lottery) Maryland 21 Massachusetts 21 (casinos) 18 (lottery) 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 19 Ohio 21 or 18 Oklahoma 18 Oregon 21 (casinos) 18 (other) Pennsylvania 21 Rhode Island 18 South Dakota 21 South Carolina 21 Tennessee 21 (sports betting) 18 (lottery) Texas 21 Utah Illegal for all ages Vermont 21 Virginia 21 (casinos) 18 (other) Washington 18 West Virginia 21 Wisconsin 21 Wyoming 21
StateMinimum ageNotes
Alabama19
Alaska21
Arizona21
Arkansas21
California21 or 18 (casinos) 18 (Lottery)
Colorado21 (casinos) 18 (lottery)
Connecticut21
Delaware21 (casinos) 18 (lottery)
District of Columbia18
Florida21 (casinos) 18 (lottery)
Georgia18
HawaiiIllegal for all ages
Idaho18
Illinois21
Indiana21
Iowa21
Kansas21
Kentucky18
Louisiana21
Maine21 (casinos) 18 (lottery)
Maryland21
Massachusetts21 (casinos) 18 (lottery)
Michigan18
Minnesota18
Mississippi21
Missouri21
Montana18
Nebraska21
Nevada21
New Hampshire21
New Jersey21
New Mexico21
New York18
North Carolina21
North Dakota19
Ohio21 or 18
Oklahoma18
Oregon21 (casinos) 18 (other)
Pennsylvania21
Rhode Island18
South Dakota21
South Carolina21
Tennessee21 (sports betting) 18 (lottery)
Texas21
UtahIllegal for all ages
Vermont21
Virginia21 (casinos) 18 (other)
Washington18
West Virginia21
Wisconsin21
Wyoming21

South America

Country/territoryMinimum ageNotes
Argentina18
Aruba18This law is not often enforced.
Bolivia18
BrazilIllegal for all ages (casinos) 18 (lotteries, VLT, bets)Gambling is illegal in Brazil except for lotteries.
Chile18
Colombia18
Curacao18
Ecuador18
Falkland Islands18
French Guiana18
Guyana18
Paraguay18
Peru18
Suriname18
Trinidad and Tobago18
Uruguay18
Venezuela18

Antarctica

Country/territoryMinimum ageNotes
AntarcticaNot applicable / VaryingSee Crime in Antarctica
French Southern and Antarctic Lands18
Heard and McDonald Islands18
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands18