The Legal Age

In today’s day and age, many governments and legal jurisdictions have established mostly agreed upon age requirements for participating in certain activities, that require the decision making and judgement that you can only get from experience and maturing. These societies, reflecting their cultural norms and practices, have varying activities that they restrict with a legal age limit.

In most societies, gambling is an age restricted activity that is linked to a coming of age, when a teenager steps into adulthood and is understood to be able to make serious decisions and take on greater responsibilities. In the case of gambling, the responsibility is of one’s own finances.

Gambling is often divided into distinct categories; the most common being casinos and sports betting. There are frequently different age restrictions for these distinct gambling categories. For example, in New Zealand, one must be 20 before they can gamble at casinos, but they can wager on horses when they’re 18. There isn’t an age restriction on playing the national NZ lottery!

On December 1 2018, Consumer and Business Services (CBS) assumed responsibility for all gambling regulatory and policy functions in South Australia – including those previously overseen by the Independent Gambling. The law applies to all online operators, regardless of whether they are owned and/or licensed in Australia. Interestingly, adherence to the IGA is the responsibility of the gambling operators and not individual Australians. The average Australian citizen cannot be punished for gambling online. Under the IGA not all online gambling.

The Legal Gambling Age Worldwide

So where in the world can you gamble under 18? Where is it illegal to gamble? Well, there’s a fair few oddities and distinct jurisdictions that we’ll take you through, continent by continent. For a comprehensive look at all the legal gambling ages around the world, check out this list.

Europe

Legal Gambling Age In Australia Fires

Across this vast continent, with its many distinct cultures rubbing shoulders with each other, there’s a surprising similarity amongst the various European nation states. For the majority of European nations, one must be 18 years old to make a legal bet, but there are a few exceptions.

In Denmark, there are no restrictions on sports betting. Punters must be 18 for all other forms of gambling, such as in a casino or on a gaming machine in another venue, or online gambling, but can be any age to put a bet on a horse or their favourite football team.

Estonia, on the other hand, has a casino gambling age minimum of 21 years old, higher than the European average, but has a minimum age for all other forms of gambling of 16 years old. It’s not surprising that one of the most digitally advanced societies in the world allows their teenagers to gamble online!

Portugal has some pretty complicated gambling laws. The legal age to gamble at a casino can be 25, but can also be 18, it all depends on the specific casino. There are some casinos that even allow for tourists to gamble at 18, but restrict locals to 25 and older.

In both Andorra and Bosnia & Herzegovina, there is no legal minimum age to gamble, anywhere. Keen young punters from around Europe and the rest of the world can head to these countries and see what they have to offer. While Andorra doesn’t have any casinos yet, this small nation is still worth a visit!

Asia

Over in the eastern hemisphere on the Asian continent there are a fair few countries that have outlawed gambling of any kind, making it illegal to wager on a game or event. Here are the countries that travelling bettors would do best to avoid:

• Afghanistan
• Brunei
• Bahrain
• Indonesia
• Maldives
• Pakistan
• Qatar
• Syria

For the most part, the rest of the Asian countries follow the same pattern as Europe, in that they allow gambling for those 18 and older, while a handful of others restrict gambling to 21.

North & South America

Most nations in North and South America flit between a legal age for gambling of 18 and 21 years of age – notably, there are no nations without gambling restrictions. This could be perhaps due to the large impact the Catholic church has had on the culture of these societies.

In the infamously complicated collection of states that comprise the USA, the laws and minimum gambling ages vary from state to state, but always between 18 and 21. It’s handy to remember when travelling in the states that what’s legal in one state isn’t legal in another.

Africa

Like in Asia, many African nations outlaw gambling, such as Ethiopia, Eritrea, Libya, Sudan and Somalia, and funnily enough, Tunisia has no legal age, after an unsuccessful attempt to outlaw it across the country!

As much of Africa is in the global south economically and developmentally, many nations have no regulation for the technological side of online gambling, even some of the nations that outlaw all other forms of gambling, such as Ethiopia and Eritrea!

Oceania

Lastly, at the bottom of the world, the collection of nations that comprise Oceania have largely similar gambling laws, with most of the nations having a legal gambling age of 18. Most notably, a few of the small Pacific Ocean states have outlawed gambling, while gambling in casinos require a minimum age of 20 in New Zealand.

Where Will You Go on Your Next Holiday?

There you have it, a worldwide snapshot of the gambling situation as it stands today. If you’re looking for a holiday gambling destination in the post-COVID world with a low legal age, we’d suggest heading over to the mainland and keeping in local (European). There’s both Estonia and Bosnia & Herzegovina to check out, which offer rich cultural offerings to boot!

Just remember, if you are accessing online casinos, the legal gambling age where you are still applies!

Frequently Asked Questions

As comprehensive as these guides can be, there are oftentimes gaps that we don’t see until our great readers point them out. We’ve compiled the most commonly asked questions we get about the legal age to gamble around the world, and answered them below.

Can you gamble anywhere at 18?

No, there are many countries that have a minimum legal age of 21, and many that outlaw gambling outright. In the USA, there are quite a few states that restrict gambling to 21+, but luckily there are a few that allow gambling from 18. If you are gambling in other countries, you can bet at 18. For example, you can access the best UK online casinos as long as you are 18.

What country has the lowest gambling age?

There are a handful of countries that actually have no gambling restrictions to name of, for various cultural or developmental reasons. Most countries tend to restrict gambling to over 18s or over 21s, like with online casinos in the US.

Australia is a gambling nation. It is one of the most trafficked markets in the country through legal brick-and-mortar channels, but online gambling is a different story. This page is dedicated to explaining the full legal structure of gambling in Australia and has information on the standing laws, any amendments, the regulatory bodies in charge and more. You will learn about which gambling options are legal and which ones to avoid. Australia is a vast gambling community, but it is well regulated. Use this page as a legal resource for gambling options in Australia and our homepage as a resource for gambling laws by country.

Is Gambling Legal In Australia?

Yes, but only certain forms of gambling. Australian gambling laws were quite lenient in the past, allowing for brick-and-mortar establishments and some online gambling options. The current legal gambling framework still permits brick-and-mortar gambling, but online options are scarce due to tighter restrictions. There are explanations of the laws below.

Gambling Laws In Australia

Interactive Gambling Act 2001 – The Interactive Gambling Act was Australian Parliament’s way of addressing online gambling. At the time, Aussies were able to access locally based sites for real money games. Offshore gambling sites were also an option. This law targeted domestic operators and made it illegal for them to offer services to residents. It also made it an illegal offense to advertise Australian online gambling products and services locally (including all forms of media). The law permitted domestically based online sites to offer services to ‘designated countries,’ but not local citizens. The only form of domestic online wagering allowed was sports betting through a local service. You can find more information on our Interactive Gambling Act 2001 page.

Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 – Australian gambling laws remained the same for more than a decade. It wasn’t until 2016 that changes were made. These changes came through the Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016. The new IGA tightened restrictions on online gambling by banning almost all digital gambling forms, no matter if they are licenced offshore or not. The amendment also ceased all gambling advertisements during sporting events. Any online operator wishing to do business in Australia must obtain a licence through the proper regulatory channels. In-play betting was another target of this bill and made it illegal for local punters to participate in. Learn more about the specifics of this law on our Interactive Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 page.

Regional Laws – Gambling legislation is divvied up between individual states and provinces. These laws are similar in nature but have minute differences between them. As such, it is important to understand the different territorial legal codes pertaining to gambling based on where you reside in Australia. Our Australian Regional Laws page has more information on the individual laws.

Who Regulates Gambling In Australia?

Gambling regulation in Australia is twofold. There are some federal departments tasked with widespread regulation, but the bulk of responsibility lies with individual states and provinces. This site focuses on the federal end of regulation and covers:

• The Australian Communications and Media Authority
• Polices telephone and online (remote) gambling
• The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre
• Regulates money laundering activities
• The Australian Federal Police
• Enforces interactive gambling and financial legislation

Forms Of Legal Gambling In Australia

There are multiple land-based gambling establishments that are considered legal in Australia. These include brick-and-mortar casinos which host slots, table games, poker (including pokies, or virtual poker machines) and more. Sports and race betting is considered legal in Australia, but only through properly licenced and regulated outlets. In fact, sports betting is the only form of online gambling legally permitted to be offered to Australian residents from domestically based sites. The largest online platform is known as TAB and hosts sports gambling and racing bets. There is no in-play betting allowed per the local gambling laws.

Legal Gambling Age In Australia 2019

Minimum Gambling Age in Australia

In Australia, the minimum gambling age is standard nationwide. To enter a casino in Australia, regardless of state, requires gamblers to meet the minimum age of eighteen. This fixed legal age applies to lottery ticket purchasing, sports betting and race betting, bingo, casino games, poker and all real money betting.

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Curtailing Gambling Addiction In Australia

The reason why gambling laws are so stringent is that Australia has a high number of cases of problem gambling. Gambling addiction is taken very seriously in the country and there are multiple regulations in place to keep it in check. This is why in-play betting is considered illegal and not allowed via any licenced and regulated Australian betting outlet. The government made changes to protocols in the time leading up to the IGA 2016. These changes were meant to help problem bettors in the country. For example, there is a self-exclusion register for online bookmakers. This helps to keep problem gamblers from accessing sites. There is another option for bookmakers to establish a betting limit to help gamblers avoid getting into financial hardships. Some bookmakers used to be allowed to offer lines of credit, however, this practice has since been disallowed.

Any Reformations Planned For The Near Future?

There may some further amendments to the IGA. If anything, these would strengthen the restrictions on licenced offshore gambling sites. As things stand now, individuals are not targeted for using offshore sites. Some sites’ IP addresses may be blocked, but there are others still accessible to Aussie punters. Perhaps new legislation would tighten reinforcements on individuals as opposed to just operators.

Legal Gambling Age In Australia Compared

Gambling Laws Lead To Gambling Operator Exit

What Age Can You Legally Gamble

Since the gambling laws have gotten so restrictive, many online operators decided to leave the Australian market. For example, notable online poker sites like 888Poker left with the passing of the reformed IGA. The new laws create potential financial hardships and limit these operators’ access to a lucrative gambling pool, so it makes sense why they would leave. Some groups are lobbying for certain operators to be permitted, but the current framework makes it difficult for any licenced online gambling operator to have a legitimate chance in this market. As of now, there are no concrete plans to change the legislation.

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