1. Idaho Casino Gambling Agency
2. Idaho Casino Gambling Age

The minimum Idaho gambling age is 21 for casinos and racing bets, and 18 for the lottery and bingo. Is instant racing legal in Idaho? The Idaho Legislature legalized instant racing machines in 2013 but the law was repealed two years later. All Idaho casinos are open 24 hours and the minimum gambling age at all casinos is 18. However, Clearwater casino is the one exception; their minimum gambling age is 21. Planning a visit to Idaho casinos? For more information on visiting Idaho casinos, or for general Idaho tourism information call (800) 635-7820 or visit: www.visitidaho.org.

Gambling in Idaho can be one of the most exciting things to do in the state especially if you’re of the legal age to partake in the festivities. On this page you will find everything you need to know about the legal gambling age in Idaho as well as what place in the state to gamble at. After reading this article bettors should be aware of identifying potential red flags in fraudulent gambling sites as well as knowing the best places to gamble in the state. Idaho does not have any laws preventing residents from participating in online gambling and online sports betting. Furthermore, Idaho does have some tribal casinos, charitable gambling/gaming, and a state lottery but there is no state-based sportsbooks. Every recommendation we give on this page has been thoroughly researched by us to ensure that the gambling operators value customer service and are putting out a quality product.

What Is The Legal Gambling Age At Casinos In Idaho?

The Legal gambling age at casinos in Idaho is 18. If you are not of the legal age (18) and try to enter a casino in Idaho you could be prosecuted by the local or state authorities as well as receiving a lifetime ban from the casino. Legal Online Casinos For Idaho ResidentsThere are few brick-and-mortar casinos in Idaho and if one is not close to you there are numerous online casinos to choose from. However, there is not state-sponsored online casino for resident to gamble at. Picking the right online casino can be tricky and you should always make sure you select a sites that is regulated by some government or gambling commission.

Idaho Casino Gambling Agency

Slots.lv - Giving Idaho Residents A Chance To Win Big

Slots.lv is one of the top online casinos in the industry with a wide offering of games and an easy to use website design that make everything just a click away. The bonuses and promotions are also one of the biggest draws to slots.lv. Currently the site is running double up special that will match 100% of bettors deposits up to $100. Not only does this site have slots but it features a live dealer, video poker, and table games for bettors to play on.

Lucky Red - 400% Sign Up Bonus

Lucky Red is one of the few online casinos that provide players that are 18 the ability to get into the games. Lucky Red will let you deposit with a variety of different methods, though debit cards are the easiest to use. Their actual deposit bonus is a 400% match to $4,000, which comes before the remaining 3 deposit bonuses that finalize this great welcome package. As one of the RTG casinos, Lucky Red is amongst the safest gaming centers online.

Legal Idaho Online Casinos

Idaho Casino Gambling Age

Idaho Sports Betting Sites

Since there are no state based online sportsbooks in Idaho, many bettors that live in the state turn to offshore sites to still gamble on sports if they are of the legal age. Many of the offshore sportsbooks available to residents of Idaho are licensed and regulated. Since their companies are based outside of the United States they are outside of the jurisdiction of the US law enforcement which means these sites are free to be used by anyone in Idaho whether a resident or tourist.

What Is The Legal Sports Betting Age In Idaho?

Although many of the other gambling options in the state of Idaho require bettors to be 18, to legally bet on sports in the state you must be 21 years or older.

Legal Sports Betting Sites For Idaho Residents

There are no state backed legal sports betting sites for Idaho residents but that doesn’t mean they can’t still legally bet on sports. Offshore sportsbooks have long been used by residents of Idaho to bet on their favorite sports and there are no laws preventing any one in the state from using online sportsbooks.

Bovada - $250 Sports Welcome Bonus for Idaho Residents

Bovada is one of the most highly touted sportsbooks available to residents in Idaho. The sportsbooks offers multiple ways to deposit/withdraw money and has some of the most advantageous odds for bettors to bet on. Bovada has a promotions that will give new bettors from Idaho a welcome bonus that will match 50% of the new accounts first deposit up to $250 dollars. Using Bovada is easy and the sportsbook has a mobile site that put the entire catalog of odds and bets props right in the palm of your hand which allows bettors to place their wagers at anytime.

Legal Idaho Online Sportsbooks

What Is The Legal Poker Age In Idaho?

The legal poker age in Idaho is 18 and anyone under that age is not permitted to participate in any gambling activities. Keep in mind that Idaho is strict when it comes to keeping underaged people from gambling in the state. If you are over 18 you can go to the casinos to play poker or go to an online poker room.

Legal Poker Sites For Idaho Residents

Since there are no state based poker sites fo Idaho residents to indulge in the only options are to find a local casino that has a poker room or go to an offshore poker site. If choosing the offshore route make sure that the poker room is licensed by a regulatory authority and operates outside of the United States.

BetOnline Poker - Top Poker Site in Idaho

BetOnline, in addition to hosting a casino and a sportsbook, is home to one of the safest poker rooms online. BetOnline's poker room gives their players access to a slew of different tables, covering low stakes to high. Each variant of poker, be it stud, hold 'em, Omaha or others, has a fairly wide range of stakes. All players can take advantage of their initial deposit bonus, which is good for a match of 100% which carries a limit $1,000 in free cash.

Legal Idaho Poker Sites

What Is The Legal Gambling Age To Bet On Horses In Idaho?

The legal gambling to bet on horses in Idaho is in uniform with most of the other gambling activities and only requires participants to be aged 18 or older.

Horse Betting Sites For Idaho Residents

If you’re of the legal betting age (18) in Idaho you are allowed to gamble at horse betting sites. However, there are no state backed betting sites for residents of Idaho and the offshore sites are the only option for Idahoans. When choosing an online sportsbooks make sure its licensed by a official governing body.

How Old Do I Have To Be To Play The Lottery In Idaho?

To participate in Idaho’s State lottery you must 18 years or older. Idaho’s lottery offers power ball plays, scratch offs, and also features promotions for gamblers in state to enjoy. Online betting sites also offer keno for those who are interested in the numbers games.

What Is The Legal Gambling Age For DFS In Idaho?

Unfortunately, Daily Fantasy Sports has not been in Idaho since 2016 when FanDuel and DraftKings stopped operating in the state shortly after reaching a deal with the state’s Attorney General. DFS players will have to venture into a neighboring state if they want to play DFS online.

Online Bingo For Idaho Residents

If you are a bingo fan, you will no longer have to leave your house to get in on the games. Online bingo has been providing players with the same action they will find through the live bingo halls. This comes without the hassle of travel or otherwise having to leave your home. All you need is a credit card to partake in the fun.

Vic's Bingo - Open To Idaho Gamblers

Vic's Bingo has long provided players with the ability to dab cards and aim for patterns. By letting players above the age of 18 join their service, Vic's bingo has become one of the largest bingo halls online. They provide a 250% match bonus, which will boost your initial deposit significantly. If you want to play over 3,000 patterns, hundreds upon hundreds of cards, than Vic's Bingo is the place to be if you are above the Idaho legal gambling ages.

The United States are positively riddles with heroic stories and tall tales involving iconic gamblers. Despite how the word or actual act of “gambling” may make one feel, no one ever pictures a seedy criminal when they think of a “gambler,” only a sly figure like Steve McQueen or a tragic hero from a Tennessee Williams play. Don't be one of those charachters, learn about Idaho gambling laws and wager worry-free.

However, in life, fantasy and reality very rarely meet. While the romantic ideals of gambling may not hold water, what does hold water is that, according to many “gamblers” out there, gambling can be both a hobby that both provides some excitement and can even be a little profitable when done safely and responsibly. Many residents of Idaho report to not take advantage of gambling not due to a lack of interest, but rather due to the false belief that so much as betting on a single hand of poker can land a guilty party rotting away in a jail cell.

The federal stance on gambling is that while the facilitation of illicit gambling is a very serious crime, the actual participation in such games is left well enough alone, with no federal legislation at all devoted to punishing the act. Many states use this as a template while most, including Idaho, also add their own legislation to the mix.

Laws concerning gambling in individual states can be confusing. That’s why this page was written to help guide Idaho residents through a complex step-by-step breakdown of the legal policy in their home state regarding gambling. In addition to clearing up the legal landscape, this page will also help Idaho residents find the safest means to gamble possible so that they may wager a couple bucks on a hot card game with no fear of rotting away in jail.

Is It Legal To Gamble In Idaho?

Although Idaho does indeed use federal laws regarding gambling as a template for how their legislation proceeds, they do take matters a step further by defining the act of gambling and designating a special punishment for it. In accordance with chapter 18-3801 of state legislation, the act of “gambling” is defined as “risking any money, credit, deposit or other thing of value for gain contingent in whole or in part upon lot, chance.”

This definition of gambling touches on the big three in one fell swoop. It eliminated traditional casino games as well as sports betting, while knocking out poker by including the clause that says a game needs only to be “in part” contingent on chance. This may seem like bad news to prospective gamblers in Idaho, but there is good news as well. The commission of this crime qualifies as a misdemeanor for which a minimal legal fee will be applied as well as up to one year of probation. Gambling is not a jail-able offense. One may now be wondering with penalties so light, why do law enforcement agencies bother going after individual gamblers for so small a price? The answer is that they in fact do not.

The small punishment for gambling in Idaho confirms what one may suspect from perusing the state’s arrest records in that the act of betting or wagering is not really punished on an individual basis. These Idaho gambling laws were, are, and always have been targeted towards large criminal syndicates and not individuals who merely wish to place bets.

This does not mean however, that all Idaho residents who engage in all forms of gambling are safely off the hook. If anyone in Idaho is found guilty of “operating a gambling device” or engaging in “bookmaking” in accordance with Idaho legislation chapters 18-3810 and 18-3809 respectively, they face not only a significantly steeper legal penalty, but a great chance of actually being prosecuted for these gambling advances. While still classified as a misdemeanor, this offense can land a guilty party in jail for up to six months as well as a legal fine of up to $1000. All prospective gamblers in Idaho need to be careful to avoid this act!

Difference Between Gambling & Operating a Gambling Device

For those in Idaho who wish to avoid any serious infractions related to gambling, there is luckily enough a great divide in not only the punishments and likelihood of prosecution between “gambling” and “operating a gambling device,” but in the acts themselves, as well.

It’s easy to understand that two people are needed in order to place a bet or play a gambling game for money. The first person, or the “player” needs to walk up to game or make a decision on a wager and hand over some money for the purpose of placing a bet before they are allowed to touch a game. The second person needs to take the money out of that player’s hand and help them begin the game, or make the bet final. This party is “operating” the gambling device, or engaging in “bookmaking,” both seen as equally serious crimes in the state of Idaho.

However, just so that residents are confident that they will not be tossed in jail every time they have company over for a poker game or they put $20 down on the Giants with their father in law, there is one more vitally important component required to be considered guilty of operating a gambling device: the offender must profit from the gambling that they are operating.

This does not mean that by the virtue of wise betting or skillful playing that they wind up ahead at the end of the night during a poker game, this means that they have set themselves up in a position to make money from the gambling regardless of whether they bet or not. Some popular ways of doing this include but are not limited to collecting a “rake” from a game of poker, (a small percentage takes from each pot as profit the house) charging admission purely for the privilege to play at any gambling event, charging for food or drinks during a game, operating a sportsbook in which the operator assumes responsibility for paying out winning bets and collecting from losing bets, usually taking a cut in the process, or operating any traditional casino games as the “house,” who by definition always has the best odds at winning.

Just so long as a resident of Idaho avoids this very specific actions, they should avoid any legal ramifications from gambling at all, as the act of “gambling” will not be pursued by law enforcement agencies nor prosecuted by the courts.

It should also be noted that the rules regarding the “operation” of a gambling device apply whether the game is taking place on land or via the internet. Anyone in Idaho operating a website for the purposes of gambling will face just as steep penalties as if they were running a casino from their basement.

Betting Laws In Idaho

Back in 1992, the federal government passed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, more commonly referred to as the PASPA. This bill prohibited any states not grandfathered an exception to the law from facilitating any sports betting. Unfortunately, Idaho was not one of the states that was exempt from this policy. This means that even of the state’s stance towards gambling were to soften in the near future, it would not be possible to find any land based sportsbooks without associating with a criminal element.

For this reason, many residents of Idaho have turned to legal online sportsbooks as a means of betting on their favorite sports teams and events. These overseas websites operate as legal and legitimate businesses that allow all US citizens to bet on sports. It’s a good thing they are such a viable betting method, since they are the only option for those in Idaho who do not want to hop a long flight to Vegas.

Although the State of Idaho has not sanctioned any gambling facilities in their legislation, there are a few federally exempt tribal gaming facilities in the state. In these buildings, all Idaho residents may freely gamble at any of the table games of video gambling machines they find on premises, including roulette, blackjack, slot machines, or any other gambling games just so long as they remain within the boundaries of the casino.

However, four tribal casinos spread throughout the entirety of Idaho obviously do not go a very long way. If one wants to avoid the long drive or only wants to casually gamble for a little bit of time rather than having to spend a whole weekend away, legal online casinos are an option for Idaho residents, as well.

As of the publication of this webpage, the tribal casinos in Idaho are involved in a long, bitter legal battle concerning the legal status of poker within the state. The casinos are fighting hard for it to be sanctioned, but so far, the legislation has not granted them access to what it easily the most popular (and therefore, most profitable to land based casinos) form of gambling in the entire United States. Stay tuned on this hot legal issue for any developments, but as of now, those in Idaho who wish to play poker in a social, casino environment are out of luck.

Home Games: Luckily, the State of Idaho will not do anything to interfere with the sacred rite of the home game. Whether a resident wants to kick back with some co-workers after work over cards or spend a quiet night in playing poker online, the state of Idaho will not run any interference on these activities.

Legal Betting Age: What Is The Gambling Age In Idaho?

For a state that imposes so many restrictions on the facilitation of gambling, Idaho is one of the more generous in the union when it comes to the issue of the legal gambling age. In order to enjoy the tribal casinos, play the lottery, or even place wagers online, Idaho gambling laws say residents need only be 18 years of age or older.

Any minors should take special heed of the legal gambling age, as anyone found gambling underage will be harshly punished not only by the state who will hand out a steep fine and several hours of community service, (not the kind college admission boards like!) but the facility through which they are caught gambling will hand down harsh punishments as well. In addition to instituting a long term ban, the facility will usually seize any funds the guilty party would otherwise be entitles to, including any winnings or deposits made to the casino, be it online or land based.

Gambling Locations in Idaho

On-Land: Any of the four tribal casinos in Idaho currently offer several slot machines as well as some table games. Although Idaho residents will never be able to bet on sports in a sanctioned facility while the PASPA still stands, they may participate in traditional casino games as well as slot machines. While there is currently a fight in the Idaho Supreme Court going on to legalize poker, it is not yet available in and land based facilities.

Online/Web-Based: With the limited number of land based gambling options in Idaho, it’s a good thing that there are several legal gambling websites open to Idaho residents. By virtue of being located overseas, these legitimate business are able to operate legally based on legislation in their native countries, meaning that there is no risk of the US government shutting them down (anyone hurt by the Black Friday fiasco can breathe a sigh of relief.)

In addition, since these websites operate legally, they are held to rigid standards of both quality and fairness for all members. The reputable international gaming commissions that certify these websites would not stand for anything less.

Top Rated Betting Sites For Idaho Residents

100's of Casino Games, Large Poker Tourneys, Live Wagering

Just as with any industry, there is almost always a name that stands out above the rest and serves as the measuring stick by which all other products are judged. In the realm of online gambling networks, the name is Bovada. After more than 20 years of service to Idaho residents, (which makes them almost as old as the internet itself!) Bovada has turned into the true cream of the crop when it comes to gambling online.

Why, you may ask? Two simple reasons, quality of product and all-star customer service. Whether you’re looking for the most varied and complete sportsbook on the market, the busiest poker room or the online casino with the most cutting edge software, you’ll be pleased with Bovada, and if not, or if any question should arise, you’ll have the backing of Bovada’s all-star, 24 hour customer service phone line at your disposal. At Bovada, you will never be plagued by an answering service, only a human being who will be on the line with you within minutes.

We Recommend These Other Idaho Betting Sites

A Final Word...Getting More Help

While we are confident that the information presented on this page is accurate, we are not legal professionals and therefore this cannot be considered a legal consultation. We always recommend that readers seeking more information proceed to the actual Idaho legal code to view the exact Idaho gambling laws. If all else fails, it is advised that you direct further questions to a qualified legal professional.