Most of the countries, where gambling is legal, prevent minors from accessing betting platforms and placing wagers. Gambling, in general, is a sophisticated process. Most casinos and sports betting sites agree that you need to be over a certain age to know about the side effects of gambling and how it affects your behavior when growing up. Hence, there is an age restriction in almost every betting establishment.
Every online and land-based casino also has an age requirement to gamble in it. Additionally, every jurisdiction has a certain age restriction to prevent minors from accessing the platform. But, how do casinos know their customers are not minors? Why is underage gambling harmful? Read along to find out.
What Is The Legal Age To Gamble
Most of the states in the US have a legal gambling age of 21 except for a few states like Minnesota, Montana, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Washington, where the legal gambling age is 18. Most casinos in Canada and the UK have an age limit of 18. In several Asian countries, the age limit is 21. However, certain countries like UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives, etc outright make it illegal for online casinos to operate.
In short, the legal gambling age varies according to the online casino and jurisdiction. Most countries have a legal gambling age between 18 to 21. Likewise, online casinos follow the regulations set by the government licensing authorities or have a specific age restriction according to their terms.
How Online Casinos Prevent Underage Gambling
Online casinos are mandated by law to only admit players who are above the legal age for gambling. This is how online casinos determine their players’ ages and prevent underage gambling:
- Regulatory Acts: The government agencies that permit operating licenses to online casinos have set certain regulations that the casino has to comply with to provide wagering services. The most important regulation is for online casinos to prompt responsible gambling and prevent underage gaming. The Gambling Act of certain jurisdictions has set a specific age limit that every gambling establishment has to adhere to.
- Age Verification: Age verification is the process of prompting the player to disclose their age before using a gambling service. It is a standard procedure while creating an account to gamble in an online casino. This is employed to prevent underage gambling. The legal implications regarding underage gambling are displayed when a person signs up for an account. However, if anyone tries to cheat by entering a fake date of birth, there are many more methods for online casinos to identify the players’ ages.
- KYC Procedure: After creating an account, the casino might ask the customer to undergo a KYC procedure. It is also a standard procedure that all online casinos are mandated to have. During a KYC procedure, the casino might ask the customers to produce a copy of their photo ID, address proof, banking details, or even video call them or ask for a photograph to verify their account. This is done to deter any underage gamblers on the platform.
Consequences Of Underage Gambling
- Legal Consequences: If ever a person fakes their age to create an account on an online casino, the person will have to face legal consequences. If the casino gets to know that you are an underage gambler, the casino can permanently close your account and ban you from ever opening an account on the platform again. The winnings from the casino will be forfeit and the funds will be automatically transferred to the source. Similarly, the parents of the underage gamblers will have to face legal troubles for allowing their ward to create an account in a casino.
- Behavioral Consequences: Gambling is a highly addictive activity. The brain releases high levels of the hormone dopamine when you gamble. These high levels of dopamine can cause an addiction to the activity. If you are a minor and get exposed to gambling at an early age, there are chances that you get addicted to it very easily. Gambling addictions can then lead to other addictions, financial problems, and bifurcation in relations. Character development of minors occurs during the teenage years and gambling addiction can severely affect it. To fund the gambling, minors will have to use their parents’ banking details without them knowing, which can lead to bigger thievery.
- Repercussions for Casinos: Allowing underage gamblers into their platform can make online casinos and other wager providers lose their licenses and face legal issues. They might also receive huge fines and a temporary ban. Gambling licensing is very difficult to obtain and is very costly. Therefore, online casinos are extremely vigilant about underage gambling and will be very strict if they catch a minor pretending to be an adult gamer.
Conclusion
To gamble online, you need to understand its positive and negative aspects. Wagering providers and governments across the world have agreed that you need to be an adult to understand the consequences of gambling. If unregulated, gambling can affect your life and the lives of your loved ones. Apart from the financial losses incurred by gambling addiction, its impact on mental health is also a major concern throughout the world.
So, if you are a minor, it is better to wait out a few years before you start gambling. It is always important that you start to gamble with your own money and with whatever you can afford to lose. Online casinos and licensing authorities are actively trying to reduce underage gamblers and have implemented several restrictions to prevent underage gambling.