What Is The Age To Gamble In Las Vegas?

Above, slot machines in Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During the cruise to the Bahamas, I did some gambling in the Norwegian Sky casino. I played roulette and ended up making $60.

Roulette has been my favorite table game. I first started playing it in Las Vegas at the "ripe old age" of 19. Yes, I was illegally playing as Nevada law stipulated that one must be at least 21 years old to play. Yes, teens do crazy things. I must have looked at least 21 as I was never questioned.

This got me thinking, What is the current age to gamble in Las Vegas?

Well, it is still 21.

According to Casino.com:

Now comes the real question: “How old do you have to be to gamble in Vegas?” Though it is a hedonist destination, there are rules. And like the rest of the United States, the rules dictate that all players must be at least 21 years old in order to play.

Each establishment that offers gambling has to get a license from The Nevada Gaming Commission. Whether it be for a handful of slots or a full-service casino, the same rules apply. Both the Commission and the Nevada Gaming Control Board fully expect license holders to adhere to the regulations and laws that have been put into place to protect the perception and integrity of the gaming industry as a whole.

Failing to adhere to those stringent rules comes with heavy penalties. Like the six-figure-fine kind of penalty. There are even some cases where an establishment can have its license revoked without measures to improve security.

For that reason, casinos and any other establishment that offers gambling is strict about the “21 or older” rule. More importantly, the casinos aren’t the only ones being governed here. Anyone caught trying to play at a casino that is underage faces penalty as well.

In Nevada, anyone gambling in a casino that is under the age of 21 faces a fine of up to $1,000 and a jail sentence of up to 6 months. At the very least, expect to sit in a jail cell for a night and be forced to stare down expensive legal bills.

There are stories of underage gamblers who have won massive jackpots only to be forced to give them up because they were underage. Vegas staff has been trained to spot a fake, which means there is an exceptional chance of getting caught.

Some states have the same 21 years of age laws and some do allow 18-year-olds to gamble. If one is in a state where you must be 21 years old to gamble, it is best not to do it for the reasons stated above.