Legal Age for Online Gambling
Online gambling is illegal in many Arab countries; however, several online casinos are operating in the region. Despite this, these gambling sites only allow adults to sign up, deposit, and bet on their favorite games or sports.
Different countries have different age requirements for starting to bet at online casinos, but the common age requirements at online casinos are 18 or 21. Some countries, such as Germany and South Africa, allow players as young as 19, while France, Hungary, and Sweden also allow players as young as 20.
Responsible Gambling Policies for Safety
Gambling addiction is very common, and young people are always on the verge of developing it. This is why players under 18 or 21 cannot register, make deposits, or bet at online casinos.
However, gambling safety is not just for young people; it applies to adults as well. This is where responsible gambling tools come into the picture. These help players keep their gambling habits under check to ensure they don’t fall for the addiction. Some key responsible gambling features that you can find at online casinos are:
- Age and address are KYC verified during signup through valid ID/passport documents or utility bills.
- Birthday verifications are done during withdrawals or payments.
- IP addresses are filtered to exclude players from restricted countries.
- Self-exclusion helps players restrict their accounts for a certain period to avoid addiction.
- Limit on deposit amounts for new accounts until further verification is completed.
Penalties for Underage Gambling
All Arab countries have different penalties for underage gambling. Some of them are:
- UAE: You can face penalties up to AED 10,000 or imprisonment for up to 6 months if caught for underage gambling. The operators can face a fine of up to AED 100,000.
- Bahrain: Players under 21 can be fined up to BHD 100. Operators can face a fine of up to BHD 500. Their licenses can also be revoked or suspended.
- Saudi Arabia: Gambling for adults and young people is haram in the country. You can find imprisonment and huge fines if caught betting in the country.
- Kuwait: There are no defined penalties for underage gambling, as it’s haram in the country. You will face standard laws against illegal gambling.
Importance of Education in the Age of Online Gambling
COVID-19 has made online casinos easily accessible for players worldwide. Before this, players had to travel far to a land-based casino and wager money.
This ease of betting from the comfort of your home attracts many adults and young people, so educating people about gambling and its impact on one’s life is necessary. Everyone, including public services, schools, parents, and operators, must play a vital role. Here’s how this can be done:
- Parents should keep a check on their kids’ online activities and educate them about gambling and how its addiction can ruin someone’s life. Tell them about legal age limits so they don’t make a life-changing mistake.
- Government agencies can run public awareness campaigns to avoid underage gambling at all costs. Since the government can do this at a high level, this can have a greater impact on young people.
- Operators should conduct strict scrutiny to confirm the player’s legal age and ensure the availability of responsible gaming tools. They can also train their representatives to address addiction issues with care. Lastly, operators must avoid marketing false claims in their ads or social media to attract new players.
Avoid Underage Gambling and Bet Responsibly
It’s necessary to check if the player is of legal age to allow them to bet at online casinos. Online gambling is growing at a fast pace, so it’s about time to curb the problem of underage gambling to save lives. There are multiple ways through which it can be done, some of which are mentioned above.
