What is the Legal Gambling Age in Missouri? MO Gambling Age

What is the Legal Gambling Age in MO?

The legal gambling age in Missouri can be complicated due to the different age restrictions that apply to the various forms of gambling in the state. Whether you're playing the lottery or betting with Missouri sportsbooks, you'll find all you need to know about the legal gambling age in MO here.

What is the Legal Gambling Age in Missouri?

You'll find all legal gambling ages in Missouri in the table below:

🎗️ Charitable Gaming	16+
🐎 Pari-Mutuel Wagering on Horse Races	18+
🔢 Lottery	18+
🏀 Daily Fantasy Sports	21+
🎰 Riverboat Casinos	21+
🏈 Betting on Sports	21+
📆 Last Verified	March 25, 2025

Note that the legal age varies across different ways to gamble. It's always important to check what the age requirement is for each form of gambling, whether that be Missouri casinos, lottery, DFS or more.

How old do you Have to be to Gamble in Missouri?

You have to be at least 18 years old to legally gamble in Missouri. This is the legal gambling age for half of the options available in the Show-Me State.

The legal gambling age for Missouri is at least 21 years old or older if you want to play at a casino or bet with MO betting apps, which will be available soon.

How Does the Legal Gambling age in Missouri Compare to Nearby States?

The legal gambling age in Missouri varies depending on the type of gambling, and this is also true for its neighboring states. Below is a comparison of Missouri’s legal gambling ages with those of nearby states. Note that gambling laws are complex and can depend on specific regulations or venues, but I’ll provide the general minimum ages based on available state laws as of March 2025.

	Arkansas	Illinois	Iowa	Kansas	Kentucky	Missouri	Oklahoma	Nebraska	Tennessee
Bingo	18	18	18	18	18	16	18	18	18
Pari-Mutuel Betting	18	18	21	18	18	18	18	19	N/A
Lottery	18	18	21	18	18	18	18	19	18
Casinos	21	21	21	21	N/A	21	21²	21	N/A
Sports Betting	21	21	21	21	21	21¹	N/A	21	21

^{1 Sports betting has not yet launched, but 21 is the legal age requirement}
^{2 S}^{ome tribal casinos allow 18 if no alcohol is served}

Missouri Legal Gambling Age FAQ

The legal gambling age in Missouri depends on what you're trying to gamble on, but the youngest you can be to participate in any form of gambling is 18. This goes up to 21 for casinos and sports betting, which is the latest gambling law in Missouri to go live.

You have to be at least 21 years old to gamble at a casino in Missouri.

You must be at least 18 years old to play the lottery in Misosuri.

You have to be at least 18 years old to partake in pari-mutuel betting, or betting on horse racing, in Missouri.

Author

Blake Weishaar

Blake Weishaar an experienced writer and editor, with nearly a decade of experience in the gambling industry, formerly covering the investing side. He serves as content strategist and fact-checker for BetMissouri.com and is committed to ensuring readers have the most up-to-date and correct information about Missouri's sports betting market.Outside of providing his industry expertise for BetMissouri.com, Blake enjoys spending time with his wife and son, going for PRs on bench and hitting the links. Being a two-sport collegiate athlete, Blake continues to pursue an active lifestyle by playing golf, volleyball and soccer. Speaking of sports, he's a huge supporter of the Ravens, Orioles and Capitals!