Overview of Gambling in New Mexico
You can legally gamble in more than half of the US, but this hasn’t always been the case. Gambling sessions in the past were strictly limited to land-based casinos, and race tracks only. Over the past few years, sports betting has seen an increase in popularity and many states have raced to legalise this, whether it's in-person wagering or online betting. Online casinos have taken a bit of a backbench, though this looks set to change in the future.
New Mexico is one of the friendliest states regarding gambling, but where does it stand in terms of online gambling?
Is Online Gambling Legal in New Mexico?
New Mexico was one of the first states to legalise sports betting in the US, though online sportsbooks are still not permitted. You can make your wagers in any 25+ tribally owned casinos, which has been the case since 2018. There are a handful of commercial racinos in NM, too, which offer pari-mutuel horse race betting and some casino games.
With such a liberal attitude to gambling, you’d think that New Mexico would have hopped onto the online gambling bandwagon. But it hasn’t, not yet anyway. Daily Fantasy Sports are available and social casinos, too, though these are covered by an ambiguous grey area of the law.
Experts are hopeful that online gambling will soon reach the land of enchantment. And when it does, the tribal casinos will likely launch sites to keep the revenue within the state.
Minimum Legal age to Gamble in New Mexico
New Mexico has an open age when it comes to playing charity bingo, whereas you'll need to be a minimum of 18 to horse race bet and play the state lottery. Playing in any land-based casino requires a minimum age of 21; the same goes for in-person sports betting.
Who Regulates Casinos in New Mexico?
The New Mexico Gaming Control Board oversees all gambling in the state and is also handing out gaming licenses to establishments. The Tribal Gaming Commission also regulates gambling within the tribally-owned casinos and racinos.
