Gambling around the world has been present for centuries. It was always an activity covered with a veil of mystery, to which authorities could not influence and take control of. It was also connected to suspicious groups, individuals, locations not many people had access to. What is interesting is that many gambling games have managed to remain unchanged for centuries, for example, dice were invented by the Chinese in the era of their famous dynasties, and haven’t changed since.
The rise of sports betting and sports gambling began in the nineteen twenties and at the time was still considered illegal. But soon after, gambling activities became legal and the casino world started blossoming. All until the nineties and the internet launch, which made online gambling possible.
As this was something new the world hasn’t faced before, the laws that made previous gambling activities legal had to be revised a couple of times and different laws had to be introduced to at least try and take control of this activity.
The biggest challenge that most countries are still coping with is how to prevent the juvenile from gambling. This is particularly valid today when online gambling has become accessible to anyone with a mobile device, be it a laptop, cell phone, or tablet. With increased accessibility and many websites that offer tempting gambling content, it is of extreme importance to know which websites are safe for this kind of entertainment. Read more here about the safe gambling platforms.
Different countries and cultures have different rules when it comes to gambling and age limit in the games of the chances industry. Some countries like China, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, or Saudi Arabia have adopted laws that completely ban all kinds of betting and gambling for its citizens. On the other hand, countries like the Check Republic, or Island only ban online gambling. One thing all the countries of the world have in common is the Law that prevents juvenile gambling.
As for the age limit, all the passionate games of chance players should constantly inform themselves about the regulations and legislations of the country in which they reside and wish to bet. The rules applying to the age limit are different from one country to another, but as we already mentioned there isn’t a single country in the world that allows juvenile gambling, and that allows gambling to people under the age of 18.
As for sports betting, they are even more strict about juvenile betting, because they generally have more security protocols to follow, which also prevent underaged people to register on their websites. By the strict procedure, we mean the all famous Know Your Customer procedure according to which operators are obliged to ask each user for their ID with a photo. If you play smart and try to trick them, you will most probably fail and even more probably be suspended, resulting in your profile being deleted.
In countries like Belgium, Ireland, and Germany, the age limit regarding gambling is 21. On the opposite, you have to be at least 23 years old to be able to gamble in Greece. While in Portugal the age limit for this activity is 25 for their citizens, and if a tourist decides to gamble, they only have to prove to be 18 plus.
Asian countries have a completely different set of rules when it comes to juvenile gambling. In Japan gambling in a casino is out of the questions, while it is legal to bet on horse races, dog races, and boat races. The age limit in Japan is set to e 20 years of age. Over the years Macau has become a Mecca for gamblers from Japan, because their laws allow tourists over 18 years of age to gamble, while their citizens cannot enjoy this activity until they are 21.
In Muslim countries, gambling is banned completely, but the vast majority of those countries allow tourists to gamble. For that reason, it is extremely important that if you travel to one of the Muslim countries, check whether tourists are allowed to gamble legally or not, as well as the allowed age limit since the rules vary from country to country.
Other laws connected to gambling are Laws that make online gambling illegal. Scandinavian countries are generally always a good example of the legal system. Online gambling has been illegal in most of them. However, there are exceptions. For instance, in Norway gambling is allowed only if you play at one of the two providers of this service. This is why online platforms for games that are based outside Scandinavia, are so popular. The governments of these countries have been struggling to limit access to such casino websites, but still, you can find a huge number of Scandinavian players on them. What more, some of the best players in the world come from the Scandinavian region. One of the most famous poker and currently richest players of today is an obvious example, and he started his carrier being underaged.
The irony of these regulations is that for example a decade ago Norway has made gambling and playing in online casinos illegal, while until today nothing has been done to make access to these pages from Norway, impossible.
When we are still using Norway as an example, it is good to mention that while real-time gambling is mostly prohibited, two companies are allowed to offer these services. Their services offer the players possibilities to bet on horse races, games of the lottery, and online sports betting on various sports. Although they do have the state’s permit to do this, the laws are not mild towards them either. What more, the laws make it illegal to organize a game of poker at your home, for your friends.
There are many more laws implemented around the world that deal with gambling income, and as you can conclude from the text, they differ from country to country. One joint issue that remains shared by all is the regulation of online gambling.
