You have to be at least 18 years old to play the Ohio Lottery. That minimum comes from Ohio Revised Code Section 3770.08, which makes it illegal both to sell a lottery ticket to anyone under 18 and for a minor to attempt to buy one.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Chapter 3770 – State Lottery The 18 rule covers every standard lottery product, but Ohio sets a higher bar for other kinds of gambling, so it’s worth knowing where the lines fall before you hand a ticket to a teenager or assume an 18-year-old can place a sports bet.
What the 18 Rule Covers
The age minimum applies across every Ohio Lottery game. Scratch-offs, draw games like Powerball, Mega Millions, and Classic Lotto, and Keno all require the buyer to be 18 or older.
Online play works the same way. When you register through the Ohio Lottery’s website or mobile app, the account creation process verifies your identity and age, and you can’t purchase tickets or play digitally until that check clears.2Ohio Lottery. Registration
Sports Betting and Casinos Require Age 21
The 18 minimum stops at the lottery counter. Sports betting and casino gambling in Ohio both require you to be at least 21.
Ohio’s sports gaming law, ORC Section 3770.25, limits sports wagering to individuals who are at least 21 and either physically present at the facility or located in Ohio for online bets.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Chapter 3770 – State Lottery That rule applies to retail sportsbook terminals and mobile betting apps alike.3Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Digest of 2021 Enactments – Gambling
Casinos and racinos carry the same 21-year floor, and the penalties are steeper. Under ORC Section 3772.99, entering or attempting to enter a casino facility while under 21 is a first-degree misdemeanor on a first offense and a fifth-degree felony on a subsequent offense. The same penalties apply to anyone who knowingly lets a person under 21 place a wager.4Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 3772.99 – Penalties So an 18-year-old can buy a Powerball ticket at a gas station but cannot walk into a casino or place a legal sports bet in Ohio.
Can You Gift a Lottery Ticket to a Minor?
Ohio law does not explicitly prohibit giving a lottery ticket as a gift to someone under 18. The statute targets the sale and the attempted purchase, not the transfer of a ticket an adult has already bought. Scratch-offs are a common stocking stuffer for that reason, though the Ohio Lottery Commission itself discourages the practice, citing research linking early exposure to gambling with a higher risk of gambling problems later in life.
There’s a catch worth understanding before you hand a ticket to a child. Even when the ticket was legally purchased, the minor cannot redeem it. ORC Section 3770.07 requires lottery prizes to be claimed by the holder of the winning product, or by an executor, administrator, or trustee of the holder’s estate.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Chapter 3770 – State Lottery A child cannot walk into a lottery office and collect a prize.
What Happens if a Minor Holds a Winning Ticket
If a ticket in a minor’s hands turns out to be a winner, the prize has to go through an adult with legal authority over the child’s affairs. In practice, that’s usually a parent or legal guardian claiming on the child’s behalf.
The claim deadline doesn’t bend for age. Ohio lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the prize announcement for draw games, or within 180 days of the close of the game for instant tickets.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Chapter 3770 – State Lottery A parent or guardian who realizes a child is holding a winner needs to move quickly.
For anything beyond a small prize, expect court involvement. ORC Section 2111.182 allows a probate court to order that money received by a minor be deposited into a trust until the beneficiary turns 25, with a court-appointed trustee managing the funds.5Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 2111.182 – Order for Portion of Funds to Minor Be Deposited in Trust The provision isn’t lottery-specific; it applies to any funds a minor receives.
Taxes on a Minor’s Winnings
Age doesn’t shield lottery winnings from tax. The IRS treats them as ordinary income regardless of the winner’s age, and Ohio takes its share.
At the federal level, lottery agencies withhold 24% of any prize exceeding $5,000. Winnings are reported on Form W-2G using the Social Security number of the person receiving the money. When a parent or guardian claims on behalf of a minor, Form 5754 identifies the actual winner, and a separate W-2G is issued in the minor’s name.6Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Forms W-2G and 5754 The child, not the parent, owes the tax.
The “kiddie tax” can then come into play for children under 19, or under 24 if a full-time student. In 2026, the first $1,350 of a child’s unearned income is sheltered by the standard deduction. The next $1,350 is taxed at the child’s rate. Anything above $2,700 is taxed at the parent’s marginal rate, which for a large prize can reach 37%.7Internal Revenue Service. Rev. Proc. 2025-32 Ohio then adds a state tax of approximately 4%. If a trust holds the winnings and earns investment income, that income is taxed at trust rates, which hit the top bracket much faster than individual rates. A tax professional is worth consulting before claiming any significant prize on a child’s behalf.
Penalties for Selling to a Minor
ORC Section 3770.08 creates a two-sided prohibition, but the consequences fall harder on retailers than on the minor.1Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Chapter 3770 – State Lottery The Ohio Lottery Commission’s ticket sales policy provides for removal of lottery products and terminals, suspension of sales privileges, and suspension or termination of the retailer’s license for stores that sell to underage buyers.8Ohio Lottery Commission. Ticket Sales Policy LOT-SA-0005 Revised 1-22-2025 For a store that relies on lottery commissions, losing that license hurts.
The statute prohibits a minor’s attempt to purchase, but the Ohio Revised Code doesn’t lay out a separate criminal penalty tier for underage buyers the way it does for casino violations. Enforcement in practice usually stops at refusing the sale and taking back any ticket improperly obtained.