Legal Sports Betting Age By State
Before you begin wagering on your favorite sports teams, you should become familiar with the legal sports betting age by state. You may not need to memorize details about each and every one of the 50 states, but you should at least know the minimum sports betting age in the state in which you reside. It will be beneficial when exploring both the land-based and online sports betting options that are available in your area. You would never want to waste your time visiting a land-based sportsbook where you didn’t meet the minimum age requirement, and the same goes for joining an online book.
You can learn more about the legal sports betting ages in the USA by using our helpful guide. We will break down the sports betting age on a state-by-state basis and provide answers to frequently asked questions about the minimum age you will need to be before you are allowed to bet sports in that particular jurisdiction. All of the information compiled comes from official state gaming sites, so you can trust that the info we have compiled here is accurate and up to date.
Current Sports Betting States
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Sports Betting Age In States With Land-Based Sportsbooks
Up until quite recently there were technically only four states permitted to offer sports betting to their residents and visitors, and potential bettors were only going to be able to actually have access to land-based sportsbooks in two of them – Nevada and Delaware. That regrettable situation was due to the prohibitions unjustly imposed on 46 of the 50 states by the federal anti-sports betting law known as the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), which also excluded Oregon and Montana from the nationwide land-based sports betting ban, though these states have chosen not to offer brick and mortar sportsbooks.
However, PASPA was overturned on May 14, 2018, at the conclusion of a dramatic US Supreme Court case in which the highest court in the land issued a 6-3 majority decision in favor of the plaintiff, the congressional delegation from the state of New Jersey. The SCOTUS justices ruled in favor of the Garden State and declared PASPA to be unconstitutional for its violations of key tenants of the 10th Amendments, in which the core doctrines relating to States’ Rights are laid out in the Constitution. Even though PASPA is no longer in effect as the overarching federal law governing which states can and cannot offer sports betting, which means all 50 states are now free to chart their own course regarding legalizing and regulation of the sports wagering industry.
Nevertheless, there is still a legal minimum sports betting age to consider. Although more and more states are starting to pass (or have already passed) regulatory laws relating to the placing of wagers on sports, for now the only states that have a defined legal sports betting age are the four state that were previously grandfathered in under PASPA. We will keep this list updated with all the latest additions as more state legislatures pass laws relating to sports wagering, the next step to joining the rest of the sports betting states.
Legal Sports Betting Age In Nevada
The legal sports betting age in Nevada is 21 years old. You can visit any Las Vegas sportsbook at this age for a full range of betting opportunities. Nevada is the only state with land-based sportsbooks offering single-game wagering, and online sports betting sites have added bonuses.
Legal Sports Betting Age In Delaware
The legal age to bet on sports in Delaware is 21 years old. After your 21st birthday, you can bet on the NFL parlays permitted at land-based sportsbooks or join an online sportsbook for more wagering options.
Sports Betting Age In States With Offshore Online Sportsbooks
Aside from bettors residing in Nevada or Delaware, most U.S citizens live in states with offshore sportsbooks. Many of these states do not have specified sports betting ages being that there are no state-regulated sports betting sites. The sports betting age in states with offshore online sportsbooks will default to the legal casino gambling age in most cases. Typically, this is 21 years of age though there are a handful of states that permit sports betting as early as 18 years old.
Legal Age To Board A Sports Betting Cruise
The legal age to board a sports betting cruise is 18 or older. These cruises will depart from locations like Florida and Texas and then take passengers into international waters to bet on sports. If there is alcohol aboard the cruise, you will still have to be at least 21 years old to consume alcohol, of course.
Legal Sports Betting Age In All 50 States
Rather than having to look up each state individually, we have compiled a list of the legal sports betting ages in all 50 states. All the sports betting ages provided are current as of 2018 and have been the same for decades. You can always verify the legal age to bet on sports with your local gaming board for added reassurance
