You have to be at least 18 years old to buy lottery tickets in Florida. The rule applies to every product the Florida Lottery sells, including scratch-offs, draw games, and multi-state games like Powerball and Mega Millions when the ticket is purchased in Florida.1Online Sunshine. Florida Code 24.1055 – Prohibition Against Sale of Lottery Tickets to Minors; Posting of Signs; Penalties2Powerball. FAQs Florida Statute 24.116 also makes the purchase itself unlawful for anyone under 18.3Florida Senate. Florida Code 24.116 – Unlawful Purchase of Lottery Tickets
The 18-year minimum covers both cashier sales and self-service vending machines. There is no separate, lower age for cheaper games or for simply redeeming a ticket.
Can an Adult Buy a Lottery Ticket for a Minor?
Yes. Florida law carves out one explicit exception: Section 24.116 says the ban on underage purchases “shall not prohibit the purchase of a lottery ticket for the purpose of making a gift to a minor.”3Florida Senate. Florida Code 24.116 – Unlawful Purchase of Lottery Tickets A parent, grandparent, or any adult can legally buy a scratch-off as a birthday or holiday gift and hand it to someone under 18.
What a minor cannot do is cash in a winner. Retailers face contract review for paying a prize to anyone under 18, so if a gifted ticket turns out to win, a parent or guardian will need to handle the claim.4Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 53ER07-15 – Suspension and Termination of Retailer Contract
No Online Workaround
The Florida Lottery does not sell tickets online, by mail, by fax, or through any subscription service. Every ticket has to be bought in person from one of the more than 13,000 authorized retailers in the state.5Florida Lottery. General Game FAQ That means the counter ID check is the only way the age rule gets enforced, and there’s no app or website a minor can use to get around it.
What Happens If a Minor Buys a Ticket
A purchase by someone under 18 violates Florida Statute 24.1055, which classifies the offense as a second-degree misdemeanor.1Online Sunshine. Florida Code 24.1055 – Prohibition Against Sale of Lottery Tickets to Minors; Posting of Signs; Penalties6Florida Senate. Florida Code 775.082 – Penalties; Applicability of Sentencing Structures;டeleased Felonies and Misdemeanors7Florida Senate. Florida Code 775.083 – Fines Prosecutions of minors for simply buying a ticket are rare in practice. The more immediate consequence is that any winnings become uncollectable, because retailers can’t pay prizes to anyone under 18.4Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 53ER07-15 – Suspension and Termination of Retailer Contract
Using a fake ID to make the purchase is a different situation. Presenting a forged document is a third-degree felony under Florida Statute 831.02, well above the misdemeanor level attached to the underage purchase itself.8Florida Senate. Florida Code 831.02 – Uttering Forged Instruments
What the Retailer Faces
Florida treats the sale more seriously than the purchase. Under Section 24.117, knowingly selling a lottery ticket to a minor is a first-degree misdemeanor, with penalties up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.9Florida Senate. Florida Code 24.117 – Unlawful Sale of Lottery Tickets; Penalty10Florida Senate. Florida Code 775.082 – Penalties; Applicability of Sentencing Structures; Designated Felonies and Misdemeanors A store can also lose its lottery contract entirely for selling to or paying a minor, which cuts off a steady source of commissions and foot traffic.4Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 53ER07-15 – Suspension and Termination of Retailer Contract That’s why clerks ask for ID when a buyer looks anywhere close to the line. A Florida driver’s license, state ID, military ID, or passport is standard.
How Florida’s Age Rule Compares
Eighteen is the most common lottery age across the country, and Florida sits with the majority. A few states go higher: Iowa and Arizona both set the minimum at 21.11Iowa Lottery. Legal – Age12Arizona Lottery. Regulatory Rules Nebraska uses 19.
Within Florida, the lottery’s 18-year threshold is lower than the 21-year minimum for casino gambling but matches the age for poker, bingo, and pari-mutuel betting on horse racing and jai alai.