Legal Drinking And Gambling Age In Canada

Legal drinking ages around the world vary greatly. Most such laws apply only to drinking alcoholic beverages in public locations. The only countries with a minimum legal age for consuming alcohol at home are England and Wales. They prohibit drinking below the age of six.

Overview

The average (mean) minimum legal drinking age around the globe is 10.3. Ninety-six (96) countries/possessions in the world have a minimum drinking age of zero. And of those that have higher legal drinking ages, the average age is 18.6. The enforcement of minimum legal drinking ages also varies widely between countries. And often within countries. Legal Drinking And Gambling Age In Canada, vintage slot machines uk, cello blackjack pen, standard deviation calculator roulette 98.22% Yes, but that way you cannot play for real money. Same with the drinking age. I don't think prohibiting either is keeping those age 18-21 away from gambling and drinking. In fact, I think prohibiting it makes it more appealing and exciting, resulting in doing both in excess. In my life I did way more drinking before 21 than after, for the same stupid reason.

  1. Background
  2. World Legal Drinking Ages List
  3. Alcohol Prohibition
  4. Legal Drinking Ages in U.S.
  5. Resources

I. Background

The average (mean) minimum legal drinking age around the globe is 10.3. Ninety-six (96) countries/possessions in the world have a minimum drinking age of zero. And of those that have higher legal drinking ages, the average age is 18.6.

The enforcement of minimum legal drinking ages also varies widely between countries. And often within countries. In many nations, officers generally don’t enforce the law in the absence of abuse.

World-wide, the average age at which drinking alcohol first occurs is 12 years. About 80% of young people begin drinking alcoholic beverages regularly by age 15 or younger. That’s according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Drinking Age Laws

It’s important to distinguish between two types of age laws. The first sets minimum ages for drinking alcoholic beverages.

Countries may have age laws for drinking under various conditions. For example, for drinking with parents, in public, on private property, with parental approval, etc. Or they may combine different conditions. For example, drinking on private property with parental approval without their presence. Or drinking in public with a parent.

The second sets minimum ages for buying alcohol beverages. Again, laws may set conditions. For example, a person may legally buy low alcohol proof beverages but not those of high proof. Or they may buy alcohol as part of police entrapment.

Very commonly, countries or territories set minimum legal alcohol purchase ages without any minimum age for its consumption. Many listings of drinking ages actually use purchase ages for drinking ages! That is, compilers falsely assume that purchase ages and drinking ages are the same.

Therefore, many compilers incorrectly list countries that have no minimum drinking age as having them. This leads to much unnecessary confusion. Especially, when the lists carry titles such as “World Drinking Ages,” “Drinking Ages in Different Countries,” and so on.

II. World Legal Drinking Ages List

No Minimum Legal Drinking Ages

  1. Angola
  2. Anguilla
  3. Armenia
  4. Azerbaijan
  5. Bahrain
  6. Barbados
  7. Belarus
  8. Belgium
  9. Benin
  10. Bolivia
  11. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  12. Botswana
  13. Brazil (19 in some provinces)
  14. Bulgaria
  15. Burkina Faso
  16. Cambodia
  17. Cape Verde
  18. Czechnia
  19. China
  20. Columbia
  21. Comoros
  22. Costa Rica
  23. Croatia
  24. Cuba
  25. Cyprus
  26. Denmark
  27. Djibouti
  28. Dominican Republic
  29. Ecuador
  30. El Salvador
  31. Equatorial Guinea
  32. Eritrea
  33. Ethiopia
  34. Gambia
  35. Georgia
  36. Gibraltar
  37. Greece
  38. Guinea-Bissau
  39. Haiti
  40. Hong Kong
  41. Iceland
  42. Indonesia
  43. Israel
  44. Italy
  45. Jamaica
  46. Kenya
  47. Kosovo
  48. Latvia
  49. Lebanon
  50. Liberia
  51. Luxembourg
  52. Macau
  53. Macedonia
  54. Madagascar
  55. Malawi
  56. Mali
  57. Mauritius
  58. Moldova
  59. Morocco
  60. Myanmar
  61. Namibia
  62. Nepal
  63. Netherlands
  64. New Zealand
  65. Nicaragua
  66. Niger
  67. Nigeria
  68. Northern Ireland
  69. Norway
  70. Panama
  71. Peru
  72. Poland
  73. Portugal
  74. Romania
  75. Russia
  76. Rwanda
  77. Sao Tome & Principia
  78. Senegal
  79. Serbia
  80. Sierra Leone
  81. Slovenia
  82. Solomon Islands
  83. South Korea
  84. Spain
  85. Switzerland
  86. Trinidad and Tobago
  87. Timor-Leste
  88. Togo
  89. Turks & Caicos Islands
  90. Uganda
  91. Uruguay
  92. Uzbekistan
  93. Venezuela
  94. Vietnam
  95. Western Sahara
  96. Zimbabwe

Minimum Drinking Age of 15

  1. Central African Republic

Minimum Drinking Age of 16

  1. Austria (18 in some areas and varies by beverage)
  2. British Virgin Islands
  3. Congo
  4. Dominica
  5. Germany (varies by beverage)
  6. Guyana (varies by beverage)
  7. Liechtenstein (varies by beverage)
  8. Lithuania
  9. Palestinian Authority
  10. Saint Lucia
  11. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  12. San Marino
  13. Wales (age 5 in private)
  14. Zambia (varies by beverage)

Minimum Drinking Age of 17

  1. Malta

Minimum Drinking Age of 18

  1. Albania
  2. Andorra
  3. Angola
  4. Antigua and Barbuda
  5. Argentina
  6. Australia (varies by state)
  7. Bahamas
  8. Barundi (any age with parent)
  9. Belize
  10. Bermuda
  11. Canada (19 in many provinces)
  12. Chad (any age with parent)
  13. Chile
  14. England (age 5 in private)
  15. Estonia
  16. Falkland Islands
  17. Finland (varies by beverage)
  18. Fiji (lowered from 21)
  19. France (any age in private)
  20. Gabon
  21. Grenada (any age in private)
  22. Guatemala
  23. Guyana (varies by beverage)
  24. Honduras
  25. Hungary
  26. India (varies by state)
  27. Ireland (any age in private residence)
  28. Jordan
  29. Kyrgyzstan
  30. Lebanon (no enforcement generally)
  31. Lesoto
  32. Lithuania
  33. Mexico
  34. Mongolia
  35. Montenegro
  36. Mozambique
  37. Nepal
  38. North Korea
  39. Pakistan (for non-Muslims)
  40. Papua New Guinea
  41. Philippine
  42. Poland
  43. Puerto Rico
  44. Republic of Congo
  45. Samoa (any age with parent)
  46. Scotland (any age in private)
  47. Seychelles
  48. Singapore (any age in private)
  49. Slovakia
  50. South Africa (any age with parent)
  51. South Sudan
  52. Swaziland
  53. Sweden (none for low proof beverages)
  54. Syria
  55. Taiwan
  56. Tanzania
  57. Thailand
  58. Tokelau
  59. Tonga
  60. Turkey
  61. Turkmenistan
  62. Ukraine
  63. United Arab Emirates (varies by jurisdiction)
  64. U.S. Virgin Islands
  65. Vanuatu
  66. Zambia
  67. Minimum Drinking Age of 19
  68. Nicaragua
  69. South Korea

Minimum Drinking Age of 20

  1. Iceland
  2. Japan
  3. Paraguay

Minimum Drinking Age of 21

  1. American Samoa
  2. Cameroon (18 with a 21 year old)
  3. Congo – Brazzaville (18 with a 21 year old)
  4. Cote d’Ivoire
  5. Egypt
  6. Guam
  7. Indonesia
  8. Kazakhstan
  9. Kiribati
  10. Malasia
  11. Marshal Islands
  12. Micronesia
  13. Mongolia
  14. Nauru
  15. Nepal
  16. Northern Mariana Islands
  17. Palau
  18. Samoa (any age with parent)
  19. Sri Lanka
  20. U.S. (with many exceptions, see below)

III. Alcohol Prohibition

Drinking

In addition, some countries prohibit alcohol for religious reasons.

  1. Afghanistan
  2. Algeria
  3. Bangladesh (no minimum age for non-Muslims)
  4. Brunei Darusssalem
  5. Iran
  6. Iraq
  7. Kuwait
  8. Libya
  9. Maldives (except for non-Muslim tourists)
  10. Mauritania
  11. Oman
  12. Pakistan (18 for non-Muslims)
  13. Qatar
  14. Saudi Arabia
  15. Somalia
  16. Sudan
  17. Tunisia

IV. Legal Drinking Ages in U.S

People commonly believe that the minimum drinking age in the U.S. is 21. However, people can legally drink below that age under many different circumstances.

The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 went into effect the following year. It requires all states to raise their minimum purchase and public possession of alcohol age to 21.

States that did not comply faced a reduction in highway funds. However, the law does not prohibit persons under 21 from drinking. The law also strictly defines “public possession.” It does not apply to possession for the following reasons.

Legal drinking and gambling age in canada immigration
          • An established religious purpose, when accompanied by a parent, spouse or guardian age 21 or older.
          • Medical purposes prescribed by a licensed physician. Or by a pharmacist, dentist, nurse, hospital or medical institution.
          • In private clubs or establishments.
          • During the course of employment by a licensed producer, wholesaler or retailer.

Many of the states that specifically prohibit drinking alcohol by those under age 21 have a variety of exceptions.

Some states allow underage consumption when a family member consents and/or is present. States vary widely regarding which relatives must consent or be present. Also, in what conditions those under 21 may drink.

Some states permit underage drinking on private property. In some states those under 21 may drink in any private location. In others, it’s only in private residences, or only in the home of a parent or guardian. Sometimes underage drinking requires the presence and/or consent of a parent or legal-age spouse.

Exceptions

The following map shows exceptions to the minimum age of 21 for drinking alcohol.

Note: This map is based on statutes and regulations only. It doesn’t include exceptions created by case law, custom, etc.

The problem of identifying the optimum minimum drinking age to reduce alcohol abuse is a serious one. It involves issues of freedom, responsibility, parental rights, religion, politics and many other realms of life.

The minimum drinking age of 21 in the U.S. appears to be not only ineffective but actually counter-productive. Congress passed it with the best of intentions. Nevertheless, it has had some of the worst of outcomes.

Choose Responsibility

In reaction to these problems, the president emeritus of Middlebury College, Dr. John McCardell, took actiion. He created the non-profit Choose Responsibility.

It’s to promote discussion and public debate about how best to reduce alcohol abuse. The group has suggested a number of ideas. Some of these are described below.

It believes Congress should not penalize states having pilot alcohol education programs. These would be based on a minimum drinking age of 18.

Thus, the organization believes the following.

          • A state should be able to present a plan for educating and licensing young adults age 18-20. The federal government should grant the state a waiver of the 10% highway penalty for five years.
          • States would collect data required to monitor the effects of the program.
          • States would submit these statistics to Congress. Also, they would submit an analysis of the effects of the program.
          • Individual state proposals would include the guidelines for eligibility and suspension of licenses.

Alcohol Education

Choose Responsibility also proposes a new approach to alcohol education. It would be similar to Drivers’ Education. The program would

          • Use certified alcohol educators. They would cover the legal, ethical, health and safety issues of drinking.
          • Give accurate alcohol education.
          • Consist of at least 40 hours of instruction. Most would be in the classroom. However, there would be enrichment. That might include attending DWI court hearings, safe ride taxi programs, community forums, etc.
          • Have a final exam that students must pass for licensing.
Canada

The alcohol education course curriculum would:

          • Be based on reality.
          • Involve collaboration between state, school, and home.
          • Create a basis for responsible choices about alcohol. Responsible behavior would be part of provisional licensing for 18-20 year-old adults.
          • Be developed and implemented on a state-by-state basis.
          • Provide accurate, truthful, and unbiased alcohol education. It would seek only to promote responsible choices about alcohol.

License

Upon successful completion of the course, each student would receive a license. It would provide all the privileges and responsibilities of adult alcohol purchase, possession, and consumption of alcohol.

A majority of states already permit those under 21 to drink alcohol. For example, most states allow parents to provide their children with alcohol in the privacy of their own homes.

But in others, parents may not legally provide their children alcohol until they’re 21. Thus, those state laws hamper law-abiding parents. They can’t introducing their young adults to alcohol in a controlled home environment.

This typically relegates drinking “underground” where there is no responsible guidance. And, worse yet, peer pressure to abuse alcohol. Parents should be able to provide their own young adults alcohol to teach responsible drinking.

Research suggests that these changes could reduce alcohol abuse. Of course, those with a vested interest oppose even discussing any of these proposals. But reducing alcohol abuse is in the public interest. So let the discussion begin.

V. Resources on Minimum Legal Drinking Ages

Minimum Legal Drinking Age Debate.

Legal Drinking Age Not Up for Debate. PDF download

Undeage Drinking.

Why the Drinking Age Should be Lowered.

Amethyst Initiative. The Amethyst Initiative is a program of college and university presidents. It promotes the open discussion and debate about the effectiveness of the age 21 minimum legal drinking age.

Legal drinking and gambling age in canada compared

Please remember. Carefully follow legal drinking ages. Don’t use the information here to guide action. Laws often change and courts sometimes re-interpret them.

As you probably know, the legal gambling age is not the same in all countries around the world. All the more, it does not have to be the same within a single country. In many cases, countries’ states, provinces, and other regions have the right to govern their own laws, including gambling regulations. Take Canada, for example. The gambling age in Canada is governed on a provincial or territorial level, meaning the legal gambling age in this country is different depending on the location.

For that reason, I’ve decided to do in-depth research about Canada’s gambling age. It’s crucial to get informed about all the differences in gambling age in Canada before you register in your favorite online casino or hit one of many land-based casinos.

As gambling is on the rise worldwide, especially in Canada, I’ve discovered plenty of eye-catching facts. These facts will provide all the necessary information when it comes to gambling in this country. Take a look.

Legal Gambling Age in Canada

Canada has ten provinces and three territories, meaning all 13 regions have the right to make their own rules and laws regarding gambling. For that reason, there isn’t an official gambling age that applies to the whole Canadian territory.

However, for the most part, the legal gambling age in Canada is 19 years. Nevertheless, as we mentioned before, the gambling age varies geographically. For example, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and others impose the legal gambling age of 19. Meanwhile, Ottawa and Montreal, among others, have administered the gambling age to be 18.

Furthermore, the gambling age in Canada is the same for all gambling activities. That includes land-based casinos, online betting and online casinos, scratch cards, lotteries, and more.

With that in mind, take a look at the ultimate list of the legal gambling age in all Canadian provinces and territories.

As you can tell, there are plenty of land-based casinos in Canada. When it comes to the legal online gambling age in Canada, the same provincial and territorial laws apply. That means that if you need to be 18 years old to place a bet in a casino in Quebec, you also need to be 18 years old to spin the reels on your favorite slot game online.

Naturally, the same applies to all Canadian provinces and territories.

Best Casino Games for Beginners

Once you’ve established your gambling rights within Canadian borders, you are ready to move on to the next step. If you’re just now starting your gambling journey, there are a few crucial things you should note.

If you’re of a gambling age in Canada, you should be able to get access to any online or brick-and-mortar casino of your choice. But the question is — where to start? As a beginner gambler, I didn’t have a lot of direction, so I’ve decided to share the wisdom I’ve gained over the years.

Keep in mind that there are no guarantees when it comes to gambling. There isn’t a single game that will guarantee a 100% win, but some will make it a bit easier. With that in mind, here are a few games that you should start with before you hit the high-rolling tables.

  • Slots — Slots are the most popular online casino games with visually appealing graphics. These games do not require any particular skill, just pure luck. All you need to do is spin the reels and hope for a lucky outcome.
  • Baccarat — Baccarat has a fairly low house edge, meaning it’s perfect for newcomers as you will have higher chances of winning. It’s a relatively simple card game as it only takes a few minutes to get acquainted with the rules.
  • Blackjack — Blackjack is one of the most common casino games because of its simplicity. In most cases, players have around 45% chances of winning at blackjack.
  • Roulette — Another low house edge game with close to 50/50 chances of winning if you choose to bet on black or red. However, if you select to bet on numbers, your chances of winning significantly drop.

Although you’re of gambling age in Canada, that doesn’t mean you should bet away all of your savings. It is essential to know when to stop and take a break. Set a weekly or monthly limit in order to manage your gambling habits.

What Else Is There to Know?

If you’re wondering how to avoid the bar while you’re on the casino floor because you are not 21 yet, don’t worry. The drinking age correlates to the gambling age in Canada. So, if the legal gambling age in your province is 19, that means the drinking age is 19 as well.

However, some Canadian regions have come under attack for implementing this rule. Research has shown that young adults of 18 years of age tend to over-consume alcohol, which leads to negative consequences.

However, once you turn 18, you are legally considered an adult in Canada. That’s why it’s not surprising that the gambling age in Canada is lower compared to its neighbor.

Final Thoughts

If you are determined to start gambling in Canada, there are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, make sure you are of legal gambling age, depending on the province or territory you’re in. Take a look at the list I’ve prepared for you in this article to get all the details on the legal gambling age in Canada.

Don’t forget to start with some of the easier casino games, like the ones I’ve mentioned in this article. Once you’re sure of your gambling skills, you’re ready to conquer the competitive gambling scene in Canada.

Remember to gamble responsibly, and good luck!