1. Is Legal Gambling Age 18 Or 21 In My State ...
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  3. Casino Age Limit New Mexico State

In New Mexico, you have many ways to bet on different things which gives you many ways that you can win a lot of money. Winning a lot of money is possible but you have to be the correct age in New Mexico to gamble at all these different betting options. Sports aren’t the only thing that residents can bet on. You have horse racing, poker, DFS, bingo, casino play, and lottery as well. All have age requirements and this page will breakdown each betting option and what they require from their players. Online gambling enters into its own situation and sets its own rules and regulations regarding betting online in New Mexico. Throughout the New Mexico gambling age information below, you will find options to get started as well.

The New Mexico Indian casinos must have a gaming compact. There is no limitation on casino games they can offer. Slots, video poker, electronic table games, live poker and table games are permitted. Table games may be of luck or chance. The tax rate on New Mexico casinos is 9 percent. List of New Mexico Casinos. Responsible Gaming Coordinator (505)-798-7415. 24 Hour New Mexico Problem Gambling Helpline 1-800-572-1142.

New Mexico Ages For Gambling
Legal Sports Betting Age in New Mexico21
Legal Casino Age in New Mexico21
Legal Poker Age in New Mexico18
Legal Lottery Age in New Mexico18
Legal Horse Betting Age in New Mexico18
Legal DFS Age in New Mexico21
Legal Bingo Age in New MexicoNo Age Limit

What Is The Legal Gambling Age At Casinos In New Mexico?

The famous thing with the age of 21 is the fact that you are old enough to buy alcohol. Now the number 21 comes with the age requirement to be able to participate in casino play. This is huge because now before you can actually go to a casino in New Mexico, you have to be 21 which means you there will not be any young adults in these casinos at all. Trying to join playing casinos before you are 21 will results in more problems than players bargain for.

Legal Online Casinos For New Mexico Residents

Online casinos are very cool and lets players sit at home and eat dinner while working on making some money. These sites that have online casinos will have an age requirement of 18 and older. The great thing also is the promotions that you will be offered during having an account with which online gambling site. You now can just add funds on very easy as well with the banking options that all these online gambling sites will offer. It won't take long for the site to get your funds and it will safely get on your site account. All of this plus you will be home with no interruptions so there is no wrong with having an online gambling site.

Ignition - Casino Player Always Win At Ignition

If you are looking for somewhere you want to play online casino, Ignition is the place to be. Hurry up and sign up if you are 18 and older. This is one of the better sites out there that have plenty of promotions that you can use towards your play. Ignition also has great banking options that will help you with transferring money to your account. This the best place for all bettors to make some money while sitting at home. Ignition has bettors feeling they are actually at a casino with all the features that are offered including live dealers and different slot games there. This is one of the main reasons why Ignitions draws a huge crowd and have many people winning big all the time.

Lucky Red Casino - 400% Sign Up Bonus

One particular online casino we have decided to showcase above any other is that of Lucky Red. Lucky Red has long provided New Mexico residents with the ability to play casino games, all with the extra advantage of the Internet's convenience. Lucky Red's next selling point is that of the 400% match bonus they offer, which is good for up to $4,000 dollars. The bonus code 4000FREE activates this promotion. With many deposit methods, funding a Lucky Red account is very easy. We have found that Lucky Red is a world class online casino, accepting and rewarding low and high rollers alike.

Legal New Mexico Online Casinos

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New Mexico Sports Betting Sites

Even though local sportsbooks are very popular, using sports betting sites is more beneficial to all players that create an account. The betting lines will be much better on online gambling sites. Also, the fact that you can sit at home and bet on sports is a huge plus that many players appreciate. The promotions that are offered also make these websites fun as well. Sometimes they offer free gameplay and some time other prizes. With most sites, all you have to be is 18 to create an account and you will be set up perfect to bet on any sporting event you would like.

What Is The Legal Sports Betting Age In New Mexico?

The good thing that most bettors in New Mexico are that there is an age requirement that is fair to all. Not anyone can just place their bets on sporting events and that’s how it should be for all states. Here in New Mexico, you have to be 21 and older to make sure you can wager on any game that is about to kick off. So the same time you go and buy some alcohol is the same time you can put your money down on your favorite sports team.

Legal Sports Betting Sites For New Mexico Residents

With all these different local sportsbooks, sometimes the sports betting sites are forgotten about. This is where you can make all your bets and not have to leave your house. These sites also have great features like team props and player props. These are a few of them and when you want to place a wager make sure to look at your account and see if you are eligible for promotions because it could be some that help you get into some bets for free. With better betting lines here as well, you will find it is easier to win money on the online gambling sites than local sportsbooks.

BetOnline – New Mexico Sports Betting Promotions

BetOnline has all the features and games that you can think of to bet on. There are plenty of games and there is live betting and mobile betting on here as well. With live betting, you place your bets in the middle of the game if you want to and cash before the game is over. Also, mobile betting is just a way where you can get on your BetOnline account on your mobile device. This means that you don’t have to be on a laptop to place your bets on any game. All of these and you also have few promotions soon as you sign up that will reward you a few free gameplays. All you have to be is 18 to sign up and you will be able to make some good money very fast.

Legal New Mexico Online Sportsbooks

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What Is The Legal Poker Age In New Mexico?

Being able to participate in playing poker is a privilege in New Mexico. The age requirement here is 18 and older which means soon as you are a legal adult you will be able to get in involved in playing poker. This also means that’s players will gain more experience at a pretty young age and then use that the more they play. The more experience the more money can be made.

Legal Poker Sites For New Mexico Residents

There are many local sports that you can play poker games at but online gambling sites is the better way to play your funds. All you have to do is have an online gambling site account and you will be able to do everything in a local sportsbook at home. Also, you have to be only 18 and older to be able to sign up and you will be good to go. There are also promotions that will be on sites like BetOnline and Bovada and other online gambling sites.

BetOnline Poker - Top Poker Site in New Mexico

BetOnline is the one poker room that we suggest to our players. BetOnline gives players access to a poker room that provides players with a full blown gaming experience. There are multiple forms of poker that take place through this poker room, including stud games, hold 'em games and more. There is a 25% match bonus, good for up to $900 dollars. BetOnline's poker room gives their players easy access to poker games, allowing anyone who is above the age of 21 to take part in the game. BetOnline's random number generators provide players with the safety of a completely randomized shuffle, so its always safe to play.

Legal New Mexico Poker Sites

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

The legal betting age for players to bet on horse racing is 18 and older. The tradition of watching and betting on horse races is very deep and the fact that New Mexico lets its residents start wagering on these races at the age of 18 is a huge bonus for everyone. Most states will have a similar age requirement.

Horse Betting Sites For New Mexico Residents

All of these sports sites that are up online have online horse racing as a betting option. Many races like Kentucky Derby will be there and the odds will actually be in favor of all the players. These sites will have promotions that will reward all the new and current users. You have different online horse betting sites that feature races across the entire world from the top American horse races to the Dubai and English horse racing events and more.

How Old Do I Have To Be To Play The Lottery New Mexico?

Millions of dollars can be won playing the lotto. This is why the age requirement set at 18 and older is a great age requirement for those who want to win a lot of money. Playing those numbers early could be a life changer and that’s why 18 is the perfect age requirement. Hopefully, you'll be driving through the desert in no time in a brand new lottery-won car.

What Is The Legal Gambling Age For DFS In New Mexico?

Soon as you are able to buy alcohol legally, you can gamble in DFS. This is where you have to be 21 and older to gamble in DFS. New Mexico is strict on this rule and if it is followed it can end up leading into major trouble.

Online Bingo For New Mexico Residents

The final form of online gambling that is available is that of online bingo. Online bingo is open to all players who are at least 18 years of age, and this is because the state has no minimum age requirement on bingo gaming. Most online bingo halls have a minimum age of 18, so you will have to adhere to this limit if you are going to play.

Vic's Bingo - Open To New Mexico Gamblers

Vic's Bingo is an online bingo room that provides safe and easy access to all of the greatest forms of bingo. Hundreds of patterns are available and even more cards can be used through Vic's. This bingo hall provides players with very easy access to their games, as they accept dozens of deposit methods. Vic's will even give you a 150% unlimited match upon signing up, which is one oft he most bountiful bonuses in the industry. Vic's has a reputation of immaculate quality, and they can provide all players above the New Mexico legal gambling ages with the ability to wager.

  • Casino Gambling: Legal
  • Tribal Gaming: Legal
  • Poker: Legal
  • Horse Racing Betting: Legal
  • Dog Racing Betting: Not Legal
  • Lottery: Legal
  • Daily Fantasy Sports: Not Specified
  • Charitable Gaming: Legal
  • Social Gambling: Not Specified
  • Online Gambling: Not Specified

Like many states, New Mexico was slow to adapt to most forms of gaming.

Prior to 1990, their gambling laws only allowed for horse racing. But this changed in 1995, when then-Governor Gary Johnson both signed a tribal gaming pact and approved a statewide lottery.

Now, the Land of Enchantment offers several forms of gaming, including horse racing, lottery, poker, and charitable gambling.The state has also explored online gambling options, which has caused strain with tribes.

We’ll cover this later, but let’s first discuss numbers behind New Mexico’s gambling industry, legal notes, online gambling’s status, and where you can find their casinos and racinos.

Ever since Gov. Johnson signed a compact with the state’s tribes, New Mexico and Native Americans have worked closely together in the casino gaming industry.

Both sides have since amended the agreement in 2000 and 2007, whereby the 14 tribes report Net Win. The latter is the amount wagered on casino games, less the amount paid back in winnings, less state and tribal regulatory fees.

As for the “less state” aspect, tribal casinos and the state share 26% of gambling revenue, less the amount paid in winnings.

This arrangement has sometimes been rocky, with then-Attorney General Patricia A. Madrid suing tribes for not sharing revenue. But in contrast to a state like Minnesota, which doesn’t tax tribal casinos, New Mexico at least gets something from their casinos.

Their other big source of gambling revenue is the New Mexico Lottery. Offering both state and multi-state options, their lottery games generate over $140 million per year, with more than $40 million of this going to the state’s General Fund.

This amount doesn’t rival most states, but it’s significant for New Mexico since they only have 2.09 million residents. The $100 million coming in from tribal casinos and the lottery helps the state provide higher education, build hospitals, and fund important programs.

Age Requirements
18 for lottery, pari-mutuel; 21 for tribal casinos
Approximate Annual Gambling Revenue
$840 million
Approximate Annual Gambling Taxes
$100 million
Number of Commercial Casinos
0
Number of Tribal Casinos
21
Casino Regulatory Body
New Mexico Gaming Control Board
Lottery National Rankings
41st

As you can see above, New Mexico’s minimum age requirement for tribal casinos is 21.

The Pojoaque tribe tried forcing their way out of their state agreement in 2014, requesting that the casino age requirement be lowered to 18, alcohol be served on gaming floors, and the revenue-sharing model be dropped.

Lowering the minimum casino age to 18 isn’t unheard of because several other states allow this. But a federal judge from Albuquerque ruled against all of the requests from the tribe’s lawsuit.

Another event that almost rocked the status quo is when the Navajo Nation threatened to opt out of revenue sharing if the state legalizes online gaming. Given that New Mexico has yet to regulate internet gaming, the Navajo Nation hasn’t pressed further on their request.

New Mexico has the broadest definition of illegal gambling that we’ve ever seen: “making a bet.”

Statue 30-19.2 goes on to state that even being in a place with the intent to make a wager constitutes as illegal betting. The first offense for violating these laws is a petty misdemeanor, while the second offense is a felony.

At first glance, it seems that New Mexico has some of America’s toughest gambling laws. But they include the following exceptions in statue 30.19.1, which allow for legal gambling:

  • Statue 30.19.1 (3): a lottery as defined in this section.
  • Statue 30.19.1 (4): betting otherwise permitted by law.

New Mexico’s criminal code is full of laws that center on illegal gambling operators.

Section 30-19-3 lays out reasonable restrictions against those who facilitate bets or conduct an illegal lottery.

Statue 30-19-4 deals with people who allow illegal gambling and gambling devices on their premises. But as long as they aren’t directly involved in the action, the property owner is only guilty of a petty misdemeanor.

One of the strangest things we see in New Mexico’s laws is statue 30-19-5, which dedicates several paragraphs to those who illegally deal gambling devices.

Dealing gambling devices illegally is defined as “any device which he knows is designed exclusively for gambling purposes or anything which he knows is designed exclusively as a subassembly or essential part of such device. This includes, without limitation, gambling devices, numbers jars, punchboards and roulette wheels.”

An exception is made for those who deal “antique gambling devices,” or those made before 1970.

New Mexico’s rigid gaming laws are meant to protect their lottery and tribal gaming industries, which bring lots of money into state coffers. Of course, given the large number of available casino, you have plenty of options.

We count 21 casinos and 5 racinos in New Mexico at the time of this writing. This is a huge amount considering the state’s population of 2.09 million residents.

Most of the casinos are concentrated in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe area, where the majority of the population lives. Other casinos are strategically located on the borders, including the Sunland and Zia Park racinos bordering Texas.

Frankly, we’re surprised that there aren’t more New Mexico casinos near Texas, given the latter’s huge population and lack of casino gaming.

14 tribes operate at least one casino in the state, collectively earning hundreds of millions of dollars. The Sandia Pueblo tribe makes the most annually with their Sandia Casino, earning over $164 million in revenue in 2016.

Charitable Gaming

New Mexico isn’t the most-liberal state when it comes to charity gambling.

Their Bingo and Raffle Act [60-2F-1 NMSA 1978] makes bingo, raffles, pull-tabs, and door-prize drawings legal when run by recognized charities.

No casino-style games are permitted, which is standard for most states. But where New Mexico differs from the majority is that they also ban skill-based charity games like poker and bridge.

If a non-profit is offering prizes worth more than $99, they must obtain special and expensive licensing from the state.

Pari-mutuel wagering has been legal in New Mexico since the 1930s, and they officially began offering horse racing when La Mesa Park opened in 1946.

The Land of Enchantment had a lucrative pari-mutuel industry up until the late 1980s, when Texas legalized horseracing and hurt them. The state’s pari-mutuel industry stabilized, though, when slot machines were approved for racetracks in the 1990s.

State Lottery

New Mexico was late to legalize a lottery, but they finally did so in 1996. It’s a good thing that the state got onboard because the New Mexico Lottery has provided a boost to the government’s General Fund.

Minus payouts and other expenditures, the state lottery contributes over $40 million annually to the General Fund.

Several tribal casinos around the state offer poker rooms. One example is the Buffalo Thunder Casino, which features plenty of cash tables, tournaments, and a bad beat jackpot.

Social Gambling

The New Mexico criminal code fails to address private games and social gambling. Furthermore, the State Attorney General’s office has never issued a clear statement on the matter.

We’re not lawyers, but failing to distinguish private gambling from criminalized gaming usually means that it’s frowned upon. At best, social gambling is a grey area in New Mexico as long as the host isn’t profiting in any way.

But we have confidence in private gaming when considering that New Mexico has never arrested anybody for the activity.

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Online Gambling Options in New Mexico

Like social gambling, New Mexico also fails to specifically address online gaming. But this doesn’t necessary means that the activity is legal.

Statue 30-19.1 contains the following excerpt, which could possibly be used to pursue online gaming:

“’Gambling device’” means any contrivance, other than an antique gambling device, that is not licensed for use pursuant to the Gaming Control Act, and that, for a consideration, affords the player an opportunity to obtain anything of value, the award of which is determined by chance, even though accompanied by some skill, whether or not the prize is automatically paid by the device.”

A page on the state’s Gaming Control Board’s website also discusses internet gaming. While this doesn’t claim that New Mexico will prosecute online gamers, it’s not a ringing endorsement either:

“Internet gambling is expressly prohibited by Federal law. This falls under 31 U.S.C.A. §5361, Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. The State of New Mexico, and the New Mexico Gaming Control Board do not regulate, license, control or in ANY way sanction, endorse or approve any Internet or on-line gambling, betting activity, wagering or any aspect thereof. Any statement, reference or opinion to the contrary is wrong. Such activity is strictly prohibited and not authorized, approved or sanctioned in any manner by New Mexico regulatory authorities.”

One point worth making about the Gaming Control Board passage is that online gaming isn’t prohibited by federal law or the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Instead, the UIGEA makes it illegal for American financial institutions to process transactions related to internet gaming.

In any case, New Mexico doesn’t come out and say that Internet gaming is illegal in their state. But given statue 30-19.1 and the Gaming Control Board’s statement, we’d err on the side of caution.

The good news is that the state has never prosecuted anybody for gambling online, nor have they pursued any operators. That said, New Mexico natives can likely play at offshore online casinos and poker sites without fear.

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New Mexico Considering Daily Fantasy Sports

In late 2016, state House Majority Leader Nate Gentry introduced legislation that seeks to legalize daily fantasy sports (DFS).

Gentry told the Albuquerque Journal that he’s confident in his bill because the federal government states that DFS is not gambling. Furthermore, fantasy sports are omitted from the UIGEA.

Casino

Gaming Control Board memberDonovan Lieurance has a different interpretation, claiming that DFS isn’t authorized under the state’s Gaming Control Act. But this isn’t entirely true, given that the state has yet to explore the matter and offer a legality ruling.

New Mexico and tribal gaming interests have had tensions dating back to 1990, when then-Governor Bruce King had a task force discuss gaming pacts with various tribes. The task force negotiated a compact for Class I and Class II gaming (bingo & pull-tabs), which the tribes rejected.

In 1994, Gary Johnson defeated King in the election and assumed governorship the following year. Johnson’s office successfully negotiated a deal with the tribes in 1995, paving the way for the Cities of Gold Casino to open in Pojoaque.

The aftermath has seen the state and tribes squabble over their revenue-sharing model. The deal is that tribal casinos will share revenue, provided that competition is kept to a minimum.

This arrangement has been tested a few times, beginning with New Mexico Attorney General Patricia Madrid suing the tribes for failing to pay the agreed-upon revenue share. The tribes settled and worked out a new deal with the state.

In 2013, the Navajo Nation took exception with New Mexico’s interest in online gaming. They proposed a compact that would see them stop sharing slots revenue with the state if internet gaming is legalized.

Gov. Susana Martinez worked with Navajo Nation on the deal, but it was never looked at by the state House or Senate. We assume that the issue will stay buried as long as New Mexico doesn’t become serious about regulating online gaming.

In 2014, the Pojoaque Pueblo tribe asked the federal government to remove them from New Mexico’s oversight. Additionally, the tribe no longer wanted to pay its share of slots revenue, which worked out to $5 million annually back then.

Other stipulations include being able to allow 18-year-old gamblers; accept social security and payroll checks; and serve alcohol in the gambling area.

“The state believes they created Indian gaming,” said Pojoaque Pueblo Gov. George Rivera at the time. “The state becomes a partner if there could be a working relationship. When there’s not a working relationship, Indian gaming doesn’t go away – the state just becomes less and less involved.”

Pueblo’s bid to reduce restrictions against them and avoid paying shared revenue ended when an Albuquerque-based federal judge ruled against the tribe.

In 2015, Gov. Martinez chose not to allow the Fort Sill Apache tribe open a casino.

What Charity Games are Allowed?

According to the Bingo and Raffle Act, bingo, raffles, pull-tabs, and door prizes are legal when offered by approved charities.

Not permitted are casino-style games like blackjack, craps, or roulette; and skill-based games like poker, bridge, and bowling. Also note that the state requires extra licensing if you give out prizes worth over $99.

Again, we’re not lawyers. But we assume that you can safely play a social poker game as long as the prizes aren’t excessive, and the host isn’t profiting in any way (i.e. rake, selling food & alcohol).

The New Mexico criminal code doesn’t directly address home poker games and other means of private gambling.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that the state can’t use vague language in its criminal code to prosecute somebody – especially high stakes players. But given that nobody has been arrested just for holding a home poker game, you’re likely safe.

This is another area that New Mexico fails to directly cover in their criminal code.

Section 30-19.1 essentially states that any device that allows you to make real money bets constitutes an illegal gambling device.

The Gaming Control Board also states on their website that Internet gaming is illegal by federal definition (it’s not technically), and they support this notion.

Of course, it’s important to note that New Mexico has never taken any serious steps to arrest anybody for internet gaming, nor have they pursued offshore operators.

1946La Mesa Park opens in Raton and becomes state’s first pari-mutuel facility
1987Texas legalizes horseracing and hurts New Mexico’s pari-mutuel industry
1988Federal government passes the Indiana Gaming Regulatory Act
1995Gov. Gary Johnson signs deal with 13 Native American tribes to allow casinos
1995Johnson also approves the New Mexico Lottery, and buys state’s first Powerball ticket
2000Attorney General sues tribes for not paying shared revenue; new gaming pact is formed
2001Tribal State Class III Gaming compact is signed and approved
2007State amends 2001 Tribal State Class III pact.

New Mexico’s gambling industry revolves around keeping the agreement between the state and tribes going.

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Considering that the state receives 26% of tribal gaming revenue, this is a sweet deal for them. The 14 tribes have benefited from the relationship too, earning hundreds of millions collectively every year.

Casino Age Limit New Mexico State

Given that tribal gaming rules New Mexico gambling, they make few concessions for other forms of gaming.

Charity gambling is limited, social betting isn’t given an exception under illegal wagers, and online gaming has been largely untouched.

Horseracing is allowed because it’s been around since the 1940s, while the New Mexico Lottery is the state’s only other lucrative form of gambling.

Until a serious rift happens between Native American casinos and the state government, we don’t see the current model changing anytime soon. This means that DFS and online gaming probably won’t be legalized and regulated.

But as long as New Mexico doesn’t outright ban either activity, then its residents can continue playing DFS and online casino games into the foreseeable future through offshore sites.