Trinidad Raises Gambling Age to 25

Key Takeaways:

Trinidad and Tobago's Senate approved legislation raising the legal gambling age to 25.
The Miscellaneous Provisions Bill, 2026, passed with 15 Government senator votes.
Independent senators questioned the justification for the increased age limits.
Attorney General John Jeremie defended the new age limits with medical evidence.
The bill now awaits assent from President Christine Kangaloo to become law.

Trinidad and Tobago's Senate has approved legislation that will raise the legal age for gambling to 25. The Miscellaneous Provisions (Alcohol, Cannabis, Dangerous Drugs, Gambling and Tobacco) Bill, 2026, passed early Wednesday morning.

Legislative Approval and Debate

The bill was approved by a vote of 15-12, with three abstentions. All 15 votes in favour were cast by Government senators, indicating a reliance on their own bench to pass the measure. No Opposition or Independent senator voted for the bill, while three Independent senators abstained, working within the broader iGaming licensing framework.

Independent senators Marlene Attzs, Francis Lewis, and Alicia Pauline Lalite-Ettienne abstained, with other Independent senators joining the Opposition in voting against the legislation. This vote marks the third significant piece of legislation recently passed by the Government using the full strength of its Senate bench.

During the debate, Independent senators questioned the Government's justification for the new age limits and some of the penalties outlined in the legislation. Concerns were raised regarding why an 18-year-old, considered a legal adult capable of voting, marrying, entering contracts, and joining protective services, would no longer be deemed old enough to legally gamble.

Senators also requested more local data to demonstrate the extent of alcohol-related harm, road deaths, and drug overdoses affecting young people in Trinidad and Tobago, rather than relying solely on international research.

Regulatory Justification and Penalties

Attorney General John Jeremie defended the higher age limits as necessary regulatory measures, a trend seen across global gambling regulations. He stated that the increase in the drinking age, and by extension gambling, is supported by medical evidence. Jeremie cited evidence presented during the debate by Health Minister Lackram Bodoe and mentioned government plans for public education and media campaigns to reduce alcohol use and accessibility.

He also referenced countries such as the United States, online gambling in Canada, Sri Lanka, Lithuania, and Singapore as examples that have implemented restrictions on alcohol, tobacco, gambling, or cannabis. Jeremie further defended the penalties within the bill, addressing concerns that some fines were excessive. He pointed to a 2020 amendment to the Interpretation Act, which increased the fine for breaches of regulations from $500 to $100,000.

Jeremie also cited penalties under the Dangerous Drugs Act, which range from 25 years to life imprisonment, to contextualize the proposed fines in the new legislation. He stated, “The object of the penalty is to express society’s repugnance with the conduct.” He added, “I think that the penalties which are in the legislation before us, those are responsible penalties, and they are proportionate.”

The Attorney General also rejected criticism regarding the bill's drafting, explaining that legislation undergoes policy formulation, review by a legislative review committee, and Cabinet oversight before being presented to Parliament.