You might have been watching TV or a movie before and seen a sequence where the characters go into a casino. Sometimes they seem to be pretty young, but Hollywood casinos never seem to check ID. What is the age requirement anyways? Something like 18 right? And when do they check your ID, if they do?
Well the law for most places requires any person who gambles to be of age 21 or higher, not 18 and up like some believe. Any casino that wants to stay in business is probably going to abide by their state laws for the most part to avoid getting shut down. So when do they card?
Instead of right in the doorway like most places, it would seem they opt for a more cunning option. They’ll let you play even if they notice you look a little young. Then you go to cash in your chips, collect your winnings, or essentially when you begin to take money from the casino, they card you. This way they are able to take money from anyone, without age discrimination!
Casinos are a business, and they are notorious for attempting to be as lucrative as possible. They are not about to lose money on some lucky kid. They’re going to make a profit from them before they send them out the door. Do not try and press your luck strolling in a Casino before you’re 21, because even if you beat the Blackjack dealer, you’re most likely not going to get out of the door with any money. You’re just going to lose what you spent.
Your only option before 21 is to look into online gambling sites, which only require you to be 18 to register and play, or play with friends. Even these online sites are a little iffy, though. Many require to follow your state laws regarding gambling and may refuse you your prize if you win. If your friends try to pull that you should be more able to deal with it.
As far as the big bucks goes, there is always the local lottery. The age requirement for lottery tickets has pretty much always been 18, but don’t go counting on making any profit from that. You won’t make as much on a game of blackjack or others cards games and you might not make any with the odds at thirteen to one, but the odds of winning the lottery are almost astronomical. Best to preoccupy yourself with something more reliable until the Casino’s will let you take home some of their money.