The legal gambling age in Ontario varies between 18 and 19, depending on how and where you place your bets.
In this guide, we walk you through the gambling age Ontario players must meet for different game types, how your age is verified, and what you need to know when playing online, visiting a land-based casino, buying lottery tickets, joining bingo halls or heading to the races.
Ontario Gambling Age for Different Game Types
The legal gambling age in Ontario depends on what you're playing. Some games and bets are open to 18+, while others require you to be 19+. We break down the age limits by game types below.
Online Casinos and Sports Betting Sites
Whether you fancy spinning reels, chasing jackpots or multipliers, joining a live dealer table or betting on your favourite team online, you'll have to be at least 19 years old. This 19+ rule applies to regulated Ontario online casinos and sports betting sites. You'll need to prove you meet the provincial age requirement when opening an account, so you can't simply tick the box and start playing.
Land-Based Casinos
The casino age in Ontario's land-based venues is 19, just like at online casinos and betting sites. So once you've celebrated your 19th birthday, the whole casino floor opens up to you. This includes slot machines, progressive jackpots, table games like blackjack and roulette, peer-to-peer poker, and other games the land-based casino may offer.
Lotteries and Scratchcards
You don't have to wait until you're 19 to buy lotteries and scratchcards in Ontario. The minimum age is 18, whether you're picking your numbers for a draw like Lotto Max or Lotto 6/49, or grabbing an instant scratch ticket such as Crossword or THE BIGGER SPIN. If you're lucky enough to look under 25, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) requires retailers to check your age.
Charitable Bingo Events
While the Ontario casino age is 19, you don't need to wait that long to shout "Bingo!". You can join charitable bingo events when you turn 18. These bingo games are held to raise money for charities and other community organizations, so your winning numbers could come with a little feel-good factor too.
Horse Races and Racetrack Betting
When it comes to horse racing and racetrack betting, there's a small nuance depending on where you place your bets. See, if you're physically standing at an Ontario racetrack teller window or a self-service betting terminal at the track, the legal gambling age is 18. But if you're betting on horse racing on your phone, computer or tablet via any online platform, the minimum age is strictly 19.
Compare Gambling Types and Legal Ages in Ontario
We've rounded up all different gambling types alongside their legal age at a glance:
| Gambling Type | Legal Gambling Age in Ontario |
| 📲 Online casinos and betting sites | 19+ |
| 🎰 Land-based casinos | 19+ |
| 🎟️ Lotteries and scratchcards | 18+ |
| 🎲 Charitable bingo halls | 18+ |
| 🏇🏼 Horse racing and racetrack betting | 18+* |
*Hey, you horse racing fan! Bear in mind that the legal age limit is 18+ in a physical venue and 19+ online.
Age Verification for Gambling in Ontario
There's more than one way to verify your age in Ontario's gambling scene. It depends on whether you're playing online, stepping into a land-based gaming venue, buying a lottery ticket or scratchcard, or heading to the races.
We've gathered each gambling type below, so you know what to expect when gambling in the province.
- Online casinos and sports betting sites - Your age and identity are verified when you register. You'll need to enter your name, date of birth, address, phone number and email. Some casinos then verify you automatically, while others require you to submit documents such as proof of identity, proof of address and proof of payment before you can deposit and play.
- Land-based gaming venues - Age is checked using government-issued photo ID when you enter the casino.
- Lottery tickets and scratchcards - Retailers must follow OGL's ID25 policy, which means anyone who looks under 25 needs to be asked for acceptable photo ID before buying a ticket or scratchcard. Self-service lottery terminals, on the other hand, require an ID scan and accept Ontario Photo Cards and other North American driver's licences.
- Charitable bingo halls - If there's any doubt you're 18 or older, you may be asked to show a government-issued photo ID.
- Horse racing and racetrack betting - At a racetrack, you may be asked for photo ID to prove you're at least 18 years old. Online horse racing accounts require age and identity verification when you register, just like online casinos and sports betting sites.
