The laws covering most gambling-related matters can be found in New Mexico Statutes 30-19-2, et seq. The legal age for gambling in New Mexico is 18 for the lottery and horse racing, and 21 for casino games. Engaging in unlawful gambling or entering a gambling establishment with the intent to gamble is a petty misdemeanor and could result in up to six months in jail and/or a fine of up to $500. The tribal casinos were already allowed to offer this type of gambling.Īccording to the official definition, gambling involves making a bet where something of value is at stake. New Mexico was one of the first states to allow legal sports betting when the Supreme Court overturned the ban on it in May 2018. One non-tribal casino was allowed to open in Albuquerque in 2011. That same year, the governor signed a bill that allowed for a state lottery to be launched, and in 1996, it joined the Multi-State Lottery Association. In 1995, the first tribal casinos were opened. Then in 1990, the government signed agreements with the local tribes after the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was passed, allowing for tribal casinos to be established.
Gambling has been legal in New Mexico since 1947 when lawmakers made it okay to bet on horse races.
