The Georgia Gambling Age: Casinos, Sports Betting & More

The great state of Georgia does not have a history of being particularly welcoming to new forms of gambling. With no pari-mutuel betting, no online wagering and zero land-based casinos Georgia is not known as a betting-friendly state, in fact there are only two forms of legalized gambling in the Peach State.

In this page we will discuss the history of gambling in Georgia, the current legality of each form of popular betting in the US today as well as the legal Georgia gambling age required to participate in the three forms of legal gambling in GA – which are included in the table below.

The table above outlines the legal gambling age in Georgia for each type of betting that is allowed in the state. If there is not an age under a form of gambling, then it is illegal in Georgia.

In the sections below we will go into more details regarding the legal gambling age in Georgia, as well as offering up insight into the current legal state of gaming across the US. We will also let you know if there are any upcoming changes to the laws in Georgia, or if there are any ongoing discussions about amending gambling laws.

Casino Age in Georgia

Georgia has some of the strictest and most restrictive gambling laws in the US. With land-based commercial casinos outlawed and no tribal casinos, those wanting to enjoy traditional casino games in person will be sorely disappointed. Due to the state’s incredibly convoluted process of passing new gambling laws there doesn’t seem to be any chance that commercial casinos will be welcomed to Georgia any time soon.

There is one singular shining light for Georgia residents wanting to get involved with casino style gambling, and this is the Emerald Princess Casino. The Emerald Princess Casino is a cruise ship based off the coast of Brunswick Georgia that offers live table games alongside a large selection of slot machines.

The Emerald Princess Casino operates by offering what is known as a ‘cruise to nowhere’. It is able to operate as a floating casino by taking passengers out into international waters to gamble and therefore does not have to abide by Georgia state law.

There used to be a couple of these ‘cruise to nowhere’ ships operating off the coast of Georgia, however the state was able to crack down on these by revoking the respective ships inspection certificates, so it is safe to say the state is not a fan of these gambling cruise operators.

To enter the Emerald Princess Casino passengers must be 21 years old, thus while casino cruises are not technically legal in Georgia it could be implied that the legal casino age in Georgia is 21.

There have been a few attempts in the past decade to get Georgia’s state legislature to legalize commercial casinos. In 2012 there was a bill introduced that attempted to legalize a land based commercial casino that would have donated its profits to fund a state education program. Unfortunately, this attempt didn’t get lawmaker support and died. There have been murmurings since that the legislature is still considering legalizing commercial casino gambling. However, given the amount of hoops the state will have to jump through to get a bill to pass, Georgia residents may be waiting some time before they have a land-based casino.

What are The Casinos In Georgia that accept 18 year Olds

There are no casinos in Georgia that accept 18 year olds. As there are no legal casinos operating within Georgia state territory there isn’t a defined legal casino gambling age in Georgia, but the one gambling ‘cruise to nowhere’ operating out of Georgia requires that passengers be 21 years or older.

There are some gambling forms that 18 year olds can get involved with in Georgia. 18 year olds are able to play the lottery, and while it is not explicitly legal yet 18 year olds can also play Daily Fantasy Sports in the Peach State – we will discuss both of these forms of gambling in more detail later on this page.

One form of gambling that 18 year olds can participate in that we don’t discuss later on this page is Bingo. Bingo for charitable purposes has been legal in Georgia since 1976, and provides an alternative form of gambling for younger Georgia residents to get involved with. Along with the state lottery, Georgia seems to be very happy with any gambling form that gives back to the community.

For those who want to take to the high seas and undertake some casino gaming off the coast of Georgia we have included the address for the last gambling ‘cruise to nowhere’ operating in Georgia.

Sports Betting In Georgia

In keeping with its strict approach to gambling there is currently no legal sports betting in Georgia. This seems at odds with Georgia’s reputation as a passionate sporting state, with a large portion of the population avid football fans. While there have been several moves over the past couple of years to legalize sports betting no law has stuck yet.

The most recent move to legalize sports betting was undertaken in 2019 and might have legs, as recently as early 2020 the bill was still being debated by state legislature. The bill outlines how sports betting would be provided for in Georgia and would allow for betting on both professional and college sports, and to cater to the more conservative law makers the bill limits the number of sports betting permits that would be issued to 10.

While sports betting as a whole might currently be illegal in Georgia, Daily Fantasy Sports is operating in the state – albeit under very grey assumed legality. We will go into more detail regarding Daily Fantasy Sports and its current legality later on this page.

Georgia Online Gambling Age

Online gambling is completely illegal in Georgia. As Georgia has a history of being slow to adopt any form of new gambling it is only fitting that online gambling is yet to be adopted in the Peach State. As online gambling is not legal in Georgia there is no legal online gambling age.

Across the US there is a growing call for online gambling facilities to be available for those who want to gamble, but given Georgia’s conservative approach to gambling as a whole it appears that it will stay behind the curve in adopting online gambling laws. Georgia state can also justify their lack of online gambling by the lack of certainty as to online gambling’s legality federally due to the lack of consistency in the reading of the Federal Wire Act 1961. So until online gambling’s position is defined federally and it is widely adopted across the US there is likely to be no support for online gambling in Georgia.

There are a limited number of states in the US that have legalized online gambling, most likely due to the questionable status of online gambling at a federal level. There are some offshore gambling sites that Georgia residents will be able to access. Playing on these websites is not a safe undertaking though, should anything go wrong players will not covered by US consumer protection laws as these websites are not registered in the US.

Poker Gambling Age

No form of online or land-based poker is legal in Georgia. As Georgia has outlawed all casino based gambling, all card games house backed or not have been outlawed as a part of this. The state of Georgia passed the law to make all casino based gambling illegal before the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was passed in 1988, so there is not even the possibility of tribal casinos or poker rooms opening as no compacts were ever written between Georgia state and local tribes.

Daily Fantasy Sports

The one area of gambling which Georgian sports fans can currently partake in is Daily Fantasy Sports. However, Daily Fantasy Sports only appears to be tolerated by Georgia as there is no definitive law outlawing it. As law makers currently turn a blind eye to Daily Fantasy Sports legality many of the major operators have set up shop in the Peach State, with residents aged 18 and older able to set up accounts.

In recent years, there have been many moves made to try and legalize Daily Fantasy Sports in Georgia, but none have stuck yet. The most recent attempt to legalize it was instigated in 2018, and although it passed through the lower house the senate itself tabled it and it expired before it was read.

Currently Daily Fantasy Sports exists in a grey form of implied legality by not having any legislation that outlaws it. Operators also argue that Daily Fantasy Sports is a game of skill and not chance and therefore is exempt from any blanket legislation that outlaws ‘gambling’ when defined as wagering on a game of chance. In a state as strongly opposed to gambling as Georgia is, it might be this slight difference in definition that allows it to continue operating.

Legal Age to Play the Lottery in Georgia

Georgia has had a state lottery in play since 1992, when it was instated to secure valuable tax revenue which has been used to fund state backed educational charities. Since the lottery’s inception in 1992 it has raised over $10 billion dollars for the charities it supports, making it not only enjoyable for those who play it but also paying massive dividends to the state as a whole.

Georgia’s lottery is run by Georgia Lottery Corporation, which was created when the lottery law was passed in 1992. Players only have to be 18 years old in Georgia to participate in the state lottery. With several games on offer including Keno, Powerball, Mega Millions and Fantasy 5 there is plenty for players to enjoy.

In contrast to the majority of Georgia’s gambling history, Georgia has been a leader in the US by introducing online lottery. Being the second state across the US to introduce an online lottery, in this instance Georgia has definitely been ahead of the curve.

Since its introduction of an online lottery sales of lottery tickets have skyrocketed. Georgia has also been able to diversify the gaming options on offer as going online gives them access to multi-state draws with large jackpots as well as being able to introduce Diggi Games – both of which have had a substantial impact on state tax revenue as well.

Georgia Gambling Laws & Future Outlook

Georgia gambling laws can be found in Title 16 of the state legislature that outlines Crimes and Offences, under this title gambling is defined as ‘betting upon the final result of any game or contest, or upon games played with cards, dice, or balls, in order to win money or other things of value, prohibited’. Within this definition most forms of gambling could be considered illegal, however where certain forms of gambling have been legalized this has been written into state legislature as exemptions to Title 16.

While Georgia is considered one of the strictest states in the US in terms of gambling laws, what few forms of gambling it does have legalized draws in good revenue for the state which helps fund state run charities. For example, the state lottery has raised more than $10 billion for the educational charities it supports.

Although there are few gambling options available in Georgia there is still tax applied to any gambling winnings. Gambling winnings in Georgia are considered personal income and are therefore taxed at an individual’s personal tax rate. Lottery winnings above $5,000 are also subject to federal tax at 24% and an additional state tax of 6%.

Currently Georgia retains its reputation for being one of the most unfriendly state for gambling in the US. With only three forms of popular gambling currently legal in the state, no legal online casino gambling, and only a ‘cruise to nowhere’ on offer for in person gambling it is not the destination for those wanting to enjoy limitless forms of gambling excitement.

However, there are some changes on the horizon for Georgia. There is currently a bill in front of the Georgia legislature that would legalize sports betting within the state. There is hope for this bill, as while it does push for a new form of gambling to be legalized it would do so conservatively, only offering up 10 sports betting licenses and administering high taxes on the operators the funds of which would go towards state backed charities and non-profits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Hopefully this page has given you some good insight into the current gambling landscape in Georgia state. If you still have any outstanding questions take a look at our answers to the most frequently asked questions below where you will hopefully find your answer. For more info about legal ages in the united states, check our guide the the minimum gambling ages in the USA.