If you are planning to gamble online, it is crucial that you are aware of your state’s minimum age requirements for gambling. These laws determine whether you can legally gamble at physical casinos, online casinos and pari-mutuel betting sites within the US; there may also be state and federal laws prohibiting underage gambling.
Though most states consider 18 the legal gambling age, there is no set rule across casino types and online poker rooms. Some states set their minimum gambling age at 18, others at 21 for brick-and-mortar casinos and still others only allow people over 21 to gamble online – it’s an intricate topic with different regulations pertaining to various casino games.
To ensure players are above the legal gambling age, most online casinos require identity verification before allowing a deposit to take place. This may involve verifying an individual’s driving license, passport, military ID card, permanent US residence card, bank statement for the last three months, IRS tax notification notification notice and home loan statement or any other personal documents provided as proof. This process serves both to protect gambling site interests as well as customers while preventing underage gambling.
Many US online casinos employ sophisticated monitoring systems to track player behavior and detect potential problem gambling issues. Such systems typically monitor gambling time spent and frequency of wagers as well as size of bets placed; they also record emotional reactions associated with gambling activities and provide data supporting responsible play policies.
US casinos currently allow those over 21 to gamble for real money on casino games in six regulated states: New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Connecticut and Delaware. There are also various regulated sites which accept players from other states.
Reasons behind differing minimum gambling ages in various states vary for different casino and poker games, such as electronic slots and keno; table games like blackjack or baccarat may require greater skill and knowledge, thus increasing the minimum gambling age accordingly.
Other causes for variation in casino age requirements are differences in state regulations and tribal gaming laws, with some states having higher minimum gambling ages than others, while some do not restrict any age gambling at all (for instance Cabazon Band of Mission Indians raised its minimum gambling age from 18-21 in Palm Springs California recently). Furthermore, many tribes may have specific gaming regulations which differ from state legislation; see our list of Minimum Gambling Ages across America below for some popular casino and poker games.