For the younger generation of gamblers, it’s probably best if they stop and think about this question: “what is the legal age for gambling in different countries?” They will come to appreciate the gambling laws in their region. Legal gambling is quite common to most countries, but there are still some nations where betting is downright illegal.
Different countries have contrasting views on gambling. There is no universal gambling law or code that governs gambling in countries. Each nation has their own set of laws about gambling and legal betting age is one of them. You will find that laws differ from one country to another. Some countries are strict about it while others are quite lax. Some even have peculiar sets of laws that make no sense.
If you do your research on the legal gambling age, you’ll observe that most countries allow gambling at age of 18-years old. If gambling institutions accept bets from individuals younger than the set gambling age then they face the risk of fines and license revocations.
Let’s find out the answer to the question “What is the legal age for gambling in different countries?”
Countries Where The Gambling Age Is 18
A lot of countries set the legal gambling age at 18. These countries are: United States of America (for most states), Canada (in Quebec only) Australia, New Zealand (in most parts), Macau, Aruba, Denmark, France (lowered from 21), Finland, Germany (in 12 of 16 states), Great Britain, Norway, Spain and Sweden.
Areas Where You Need To Be 19
These areas are mostly in Canada: British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Ontario. Again, only Quebec has the legal gambling age set at 18.
Places Where You Have To Be 20 Or Older To Gamble
In Belgium, you have to be 21 or older and should be a member of a private club to gamble. Some parts of Germany also set the limit at 21-years old. In some parts of New Zealand, you have to be 20 years old to enter and gamble in a casino. In Greece, you have to be 23 years old. Greece is perhaps the only country where the legal gambling age is older (except for Portugal, which is another story altogether).
Countries Where There Are Some Confusing Laws
Portugal is a good example of a country where gambling age laws are confusing. There are casinos that set the gambling age at 21 and there are others who set it at 25. But you are free to enter casinos if you’re a foreigner and over 18 years old. In the Bahamas, it’s 18. But there’s some confusion in the form of an old law which states that one should be over 21 years old to gamble. This law, though outdated, has yet to be revoked.
Gambling Age In Muslim Countries
Muslim countries set the gambling age at 18, but only foreigners are allowed. Most Muslim countries prohibit gambling as they consider it a sin.
Different countries have different legal gambling ages. It’s highly encouraged among young gamblers to become aware of the legal gambling age of the different parts of the world. Who knows? They might need to travel to these parts of the globe one day.