Different Approaches in Gambling Regulation: What is the Legal Gambling Age Worldwide?

Gambling has been around for as long as people have been playing games. Throughout history, different cultures have imposed different regulations and restrictions on the gambling industry. Despite this, the practice has continued and enjoys immense popularity today.

Legal Gambling Age

However, despite its impressive success, gambling is now more regulated than ever. For the most part, this is a good thing. It ensures a vibrant, engaging, and, most importantly, safe market while also allowing people to have some occasional fun.

One of the ways in which many countries have regulated gambling is by setting a legal gambling age. However, different nations have different standards for a legal gambling age. Let us take a look at the most common regulations when it comes to legal gambling.

Europe

In Europe, the legal gambling age is set at 18, at least in most countries. The United Kingdom, for example, has a very vibrant gambling industry, both online and offline. Casinos may feature different games, sports betting options, and just betting options in general. The one thing that remains constant, however, is that you have to be 18 to gamble.

You’ll find similar laws in other European countries. For example, in Germany you have to be 18 or older to set foot inside a casino or to gamble online. The same is true for Finland, Austria, Italy, and various Balkan states.

What may surprise some is that, in some European countries, the legal gambling age used to be 21 before it was lowered to 18. For example, up until 1987, French people had to be 21 to gamble. However, in the latter half of the 80s, the government changed the laws. If you want to get more useful info about legal gambling age in Europe and the rest of the world, then you might want to check blog posts on the topic published on reputable casino sites.

USA & Canada

In the United States, the gambling age remains firmly at 21. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that casinos are somewhat tied to drinking. In the United States, the legal drinking age is 21, so it only makes sense for casinos to be available to 21-year-olds. However, because gambling age is a state issue, there are some states that have lowered it to 18.

In Canada, on the other hand, the legal drinking age is 18. However, the gambling age differs depending on the province. Much like in the USA, in Canada, gambling age is a provincial issue. Different provinces have different regulations. However, in most provinces, the age is 19. In some, it remains 18 as well. In other words, most Canadian gamblers have to be over 18 in order to gamble.

Other Parts of the World

In some parts of the world, gambling is entirely prohibited. Obviously, there is no legal gambling age in these countries because gambling is outright illegal. However, in countries where gambling is legal, the age is usually 18. For example, countries like Australia, Brazil, Russia, etc., have all set the legal gambling age to 18 or over.

On the other hand, there are exceptions. The most notable one is New Zealand, where the legal gambling age is 20+. To put it plainly, in most of the world, the legal gambling age lies somewhere between 18 and 21.

Conclusion

In summary, the legal gambling age varies globally, reflecting diverse cultural backgrounds and regulatory approaches. In Europe, most countries set the age at 18, while the United States maintains a minimum age of 21, often tied to the legal drinking age. Canada's age requirement varies by province, typically from 18 to 19.

Nations where gambling is prohibited simply don’t have a legal gambling age, while those permitting it, like Australia and Brazil, commonly set the age at 18. New Zealand stands out with a legal gambling age of 20.