You have to be at least 18 to buy a scratch ticket in Massachusetts. The rule sits in Chapter 10, Section 29 of the General Laws, which prohibits selling any lottery ticket or share to anyone under 18 and sets fines for violators.1General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 10, Section 29 – Prohibited Sales; Penalty The same section also bars selling tickets above the price the Lottery Commission sets and bars anyone other than a licensed sales agent from selling them.
The age floor runs in both directions. Under Section 24, no one under 18 can be licensed as a lottery sales agent either, so a minor cannot legally stand on either side of the counter for a scratch ticket transaction.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 10, Section 24 – State Lottery; Commission Powers Section 24 also blocks paying for tickets with a credit card, in person or online, while allowing debit cards.
Can You Gift a Scratch Ticket to Someone Under 18
Yes. Section 29 carves out an explicit exception: anyone 18 or older may buy a ticket “for the purpose of making a gift to a person under age eighteen.”1General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 10, Section 29 – Prohibited Sales; Penalty Scratch-offs tucked into a birthday card or holiday stocking are legal.
Public health groups have flagged early exposure to lottery products as a risk factor for problem gambling later on, and the Lottery Commission’s own messaging still tells players it is “unlawful for anyone under the age of 18 to play.” That leaves a real question if the gifted ticket wins. Massachusetts law does not clearly say whether a minor can independently claim a prize, so the safest path is for an adult to handle redemption.
Online Play Has a Different Age
The retail age of 18 applies to scratch tickets bought at a store. Massachusetts is rolling out an online lottery, called iLottery, expected to go fully live in the summer of 2026, and the age to play iLottery is 21.3Mass Lottery Helpdesk. Does the New 21-Year-Old Age Requirement for iLottery Affect the Existing Age Requirement for Retail Lottery Sales? The higher online threshold does not change anything at the counter. An 18-year-old can legally buy a scratch ticket at a convenience store but cannot open an iLottery account or play any games online.
Penalties for Selling to a Minor
A retailer who sells to someone under 18 faces trouble from two directions.
The statutory fine under Section 29 runs from $100 to $500, and that range covers every prohibition in the section, including underage sales, overcharging, and unlicensed sales.1General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 10, Section 29 – Prohibited Sales; Penalty
On top of that, the Lottery Commission’s regulations at 961 CMR 2.50 impose escalating administrative penalties on licensed sales agents caught selling to minors:4Cornell Law Institute. 961 CMR 2.50 – Sales of Lottery Tickets to Minors – Penalties
- First offense: the retailer’s ability to sell tickets for one or more games may be suspended for up to two business days.
- Second offense: suspension for up to five business days.
- Third offense: the retailer’s ability to sell tickets for all games may be suspended or revoked entirely.
The fine and the suspension are not alternatives. A retailer caught in a single underage sale can face both a court-imposed fine and a Commission-imposed suspension for the same incident. Losing even two days of lottery sales cuts into a busy store’s revenue, and a full revocation ends the commission stream for good.
One statute sometimes cited in this area, Chapter 271, Section 7, does not apply. That provision covers setting up or promoting illegal lotteries and unlicensed gambling schemes, and its heavier penalties (fines up to $3,000 or imprisonment) target people running unauthorized operations, not a clerk who rings up a 17-year-old.
ID and Age Verification at the Counter
Licensed sales agents are expected to verify a buyer’s age before completing a lottery sale. In practice that means asking for a driver’s license, a state-issued ID, or another valid form of identification whenever a customer looks young enough to raise doubt. The Lottery Commission supplies point-of-sale signage reminding customers of the age requirement.
How consistently that plays out is a separate question. A 2019 state audit found that the Lottery Commission had not adequately monitored or tested sales agents’ compliance with the ban on selling to minors. The finding places more practical responsibility on individual retailers to run their own age checks, especially given that stepped-up enforcement or compliance stings, common tools in other states, would fall hardest on shops without steady ID-checking habits.
If you are the buyer and you look under 30, expect to be asked for ID. Bring it. A clerk who declines the sale without seeing identification is doing the job the statute requires, not being difficult.