It’s no use fighting it: gambling is as popular as it’s ever been throughout the United States, and far from being the exception that proves the rule, the state of Washington is a prime example of how gambling continues to grow in popularity. The problem that residents face is not a lack of interest, but rather a lack of knowledge concerning the gambling laws in Washington. While many land based and online options exist for residents of the Evergreen State to wager with, the legal landscape is often difficult to navigate.

Minimum Gambling Age You must be 18 years or older to gamble in Washington State. Minimum Age to Gamble in United States of America. Below you will find the minimum legal age to gamble in various locations around the U.S., Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. In the 50 American states, some times you'll see a variance, this usually is due to Indian casinos having different age requirements in their casinos than state regulated.

This page is devoted to the gambling laws in Washington and will break down both the federal policies that impact gambling on US soil and the state laws that are specific to the state. It is our great hope that all residents that read this page will leave it with a deeper understanding of the Washington gambling laws, and hot they may work with them in the future.

While there are actually several facilities that offer sanctioned gambling in the state of Washington, they do boast some of the harshest language and hypothetical penalties for online gambling in the business. However, it’s important to know that aside from the language in the constitution, no Washington resident has ever been arrested for gambling online, only for facilitating online gambling by running a website. Legal offshore gambling sites that accept Washington residents still operate every day, and no one has ever been imprisoned or fined for using them.

RCW 9.46.010 - Here we have the purpose statement of the gambling laws in Washington. While there are policies that theoretically prevent residents from gambling online, the real target is larger crime syndicates. Targeting these factions serves the double purpose of attacking organized crime and protecting sanctioned casinos in Washington. Again, despite the harsh language of this law, no Washington resident who has been a mere player at legal gambling sites was ever arrested.

RCW 9.46.0237 - Here we have a comprehensive definition of gambling. Again, while gambling both online and in person is considered a crime in accordance with the state constitution, it’s important to note that no resident has ever been arrested for merely taking part in gambling.

RCW 9.46.0269 - This statute is one of the most serious pieces of gambling code in the state of Washington. “Professional” Gambling is often charged, and state authorities will seek out guilty parties to charge with this crime.

“Professional gambling in the second degree is a class C felony” - Yikes! Washington lawmakers are not kidding around about stamping out illicit gambling operations in their state. While gamblers are never brought up on charges, those who operate illicit gambling games are often punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Look Up All The Gambling Laws In Washington - Click Here

The first law that really had an effect on betting in the United States passed in 1961. The Federal Wire act made it impossible for bookmakers to transfer information related to sports betting across state lines. This was the first major blow dealt to organized crime in America and loosened the stranglehold that these criminal elements held over the country, especially in Chicago.

If the Wire Act made it hard to run a law abiding bookmaking business, the PASPA (short for the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) passed in 1992 made it impossible. Now, instead of the act of transmitting betting information across state lines being the only criminal charge associated with sports betting, this bill made it a crime to take a bet at all, even on land. Four states were exempt from the PASPA in Oregon, Montana, Delaware and Nevada, but unfortunately, in Washington, it passed unopposed.

The final federal law that gamblers in Washington need to deal with is the UIGEA or, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act if you’re nasty. When the Supreme Court ruled that the wire act did not apply to all forms of gambling and only sports betting, Congress tacked the UIGEA on to the safe port act and thus criminalized all online gambling operations in the United States.

It’s easy to gamble without garnering any legal attention in the state of Washington. There is, however, one key exception. Players absolutely must wait until they are over the legal gambling age of 18 before attempting to take part in any gambling activity. With such a comparatively low gambling age, gamblers can be sure that state law enforcement agencies will be on the lookout for anyone in violation of this policy.

The language concerning gambling, especially legal online gambling in Washington, can sound scary, but it’s all bark. No otherwise honest resident of the Evergreen State has found themselves in trouble merely for gambling online, so don’t let the constitution bring you down. With all the land based options spread throughout the state, the temptation to check them out may be there, but players should not feel restrained to those few locations.

See More: Online Casinos - Online Sportsbooks - Poker Sites

What the legal gambling age is depends on the state in which you live. Based on the powers of the states, each state's rights, and the lawmakers utilizing these rights, these ages can vary. the variance comes into play with different forms of gambling, different states, and, in the case of online gambling, the age requirement offered by a gambling site. While this may seem complicated with so much information to keep track of, this is not exactly the case - age requirements in gambling are very easy to comprehend, provided you know where to look.

Unfortunately, not every single state has actually listed the age requirement for gambling in their code of laws. It is further complicated by the fact that some states allow smaller jurisdictions, such as counties and cities, to establish their own legal ages. For the most part, we are only going to worry about each state's individual rules, as well as the rules of the different gambling sites in question. We have looked into this issue on a state by state basis, and we are going to tell you flat out that the age restriction for legal online gambling in the USA is fixed at two numbers - 18 and 21.

CHECK HERE FOR A LIST OF GAMBLING SITES THAT ACCEPT USA PLAYERS

USA Sportsbooks - USA Casinos - USA Poker Sites

Do Gambling Ages Differ Between Sites And States?

Barring a few exceptions, you will have to be 21 in order to legally gamble. This is the case in nearly every single state. Some states allow 18 year olds to gamble. Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming all have gambling ages of 18.

Every other state in the Union has fixed their gambling age at 21, and you cannot get around this in any way. If you attempt to do so you are aiming at serious trouble, including fines, having your money confiscated, and possibly arrest, though the latter is not likely.

There is one point of confusion that is universal in online gambling. This lies between the age required by your gambling site and the gambling age required by your state. In some cases, one will allow gamblers to begin at a younger age than the other. In the event that these ages differ from one another, you have to go with the gambling age that is higher.

For instance - your casino allows 18 year olds, but your state requires you to be 21. That means you cannot join unless you are 21, as per your state's regulations. On the other hand, if your state will allow 18 year olds but that particular gambling site requires you to be 21, you will have to be 21 - regardless of your state's requirements. This is the only real point of confusion, and it can be easily bypassed.

Washington State Gambling Age

Age Requirement For Online Gambling Sites

As you will come to find, there are gambling age restrictions at the gambling sites you visit. These gambling ages requirements will be stipulated in the terms and condtions section of the site, or some variation of the rules of the site. These requirements are very important, and strictly enforced by the sites themselves.

One thing we can tell you not to do is attempt to gamble underage - be it online or in a brick and mortar venue. Even if you can enter the website or join up with pme, you will ultimately be going down a path you cannot finish walking. If you join a gambling site that you are not old enough to play with, be aware that they are fully entitled to confiscate your money.

No one likes losing, and losing without even having a chance to win is never fun. We have compiled the legal gambling ages in every state, so we recommend you take a look at these before you start to gamble.

It's best consult your local laws to find out the gambling age after you have checked with, and at least are old enough to gamble at the online casino or sportsbook you have chosen. If you meet the online gambling site but not the state, you are still not 'legally' allowed to wager regardless of where it operates. Getting caught illegally gambling online is not something that you want to have happen, as you will be stripped of accounts, money, and perhaps more.

We do not condone underage gambling and encourage all players to get informed. The age of gambling legally online is still a debated issue, with many states in the U.S. requiring bettors to be at least 21 years old. We do not foresee that changing in the near future though, if at all.

Gambling Age In Washington State Casinos

Find the legal gambling age for every state here.