Legal Gambling Age In England
Gambling regulation is relatively young in the UK but thanks to the Gambling Act of 2005 it's legal for UK residents to gamble. UK gamblers love betting on everything from sports to casino games and nowadays it’s even easier to place your bets thanks to a wide variety of excellent legal online casinos and sportsbooks. The minimum legal age for gambling is typically 18 but the National Lottery is an exception 2 Scottish Lotto winner Jane Park, 17, said winning £1million made her life 'ten times worse' But she.
The committee on the social and economic impact of the gambling industry demanded an end to the UK’s “lax regulation”, pointing to statistics suggesting a third of a million people, 55,000. Other age-restricted activities like smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. Less than half of children (47%) know the legal age for buying a Lottery ticket is 16, while two-thirds (65%) know the legal age for buying cigarettes and three in five are aware of the purchasing ages for alcohol (62%) and placing a bet in a shop (60%).
Current UK Gambling Laws & Casino Legislation
The current gambling laws in the UK are designed to control illegal gambling and better regulate the industry to make it safer for gamblers to make bets. One area the laws focus on is protections for children and vulnerable adults and that includes a minimum legal age for gambling and self-exclusion options for adults with gambling addiction.
What Is The Minimum Age To Gamble Legally In The UK?
In the UK, you need to be at least 18 to gamble legally, whether that is online or live. Gaming establishments, including online casinos and sportsbooks, are legally obligated to confirm that customers are at least 18 years old by requesting ID and, if necessary, other supporting documents.
One big exception to this rule includes lotteries, and some scratch cards, and football pools. The minimum gambling age in the UK for those is 16 years old.
How does it impact me?
There are serious consequences for failing to meet the gambling age in the UK, including denying you your winnings if they find out. Always make sure you’re old enough to be gambling in the UK. In most cases, that means being at least 18 years old.