Legal, state-regulated sports betting is spreading rapidly from coast to coast across the US. In Florida, State Sen. Jeff Brandes has introduced three bills that would bring legal sports betting to the Sunshine State.
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- Legal Sports Betting Online Florida
- Sports Betting In Florida Legal Florida Betting Sites + Laws
- S968 authorizes sports betting under the authority of the state lottery.
- S970 sets the license fees for entities that offer sports betting.
- S972 sets the taxes to be paid by the new sports betting operators.
Finding a legit Florida sports betting site is easier now than ever before. Florida has not regulated its sports gambling market (more on that later) and it’s up to you to ensure that the website you play at is. Legal Sports Betting In Florida. Online Sports Betting Available In FL Via Offshore Sportsbooks. No Domestic Sports Betting In Florida At This Time. Legislative Movement Toward Sports Betting: Yes. Sports betting in Florida is a bit cloudy considering it calls itself the 'Sunshine State.' On the one hand, FL residents have dozens of options when it comes to gambling at commercial and tribal casinos and poker rooms, and there are numerous race tracks to bet at as well.
Face-to-face sports betting is illegal in Florida, due to agreements between the state and the Seminole Tribe. However, placing online bets with bookmakers based outside the state is a grey area in the law. You are not breaking any legal statutes by placing online bets on a variety of sports from the state of Florida. Florida Sports Betting. Sports betting is not legal in Florida, and likely not coming soon. There are obstacles like the influence of The Seminole Tribe of South Florida, which operates in-state brick-and-mortar casinos and wants a priority stake in the available upside. Additionally, Governor DeSantis (R) has hesitated to expand into sports gambling in the state, but legislators are pressing on.
If all goes well, the bills will pass, and by the end of 2020, legal sports betting in Florida could become a reality for retail and online.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that it’s very unlikely to happen this year. The stumbling blocks are just too high. The state is in a legal dispute with the Seminole Indian Tribe, which claims it has the rights to almost all casino gambling in Florida (with the Miccosukee Tribe), and last November, Florida voters approved constitutional Amendment 3, which stated:
“This amendment ensures that Florida voters shall have the exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling by requiring that in order for casino gambling to be authorized under Florida law, it must be approved by Florida voters pursuant to Article XI, Section 3 of the Florida Constitution. Affects articles X and XI. Defines casino gambling and clarifies that this amendment does not conflict with federal law regarding state/tribal compacts.”
What this means for sports betting is still not clear. We’ll take a look at the political and legislative background, then provide a comprehensive guide to what legal sports betting in Florida will look like whenever it finally arrives.
No, sports betting in Florida is not legal at this time.
Sports betting in Florida
Sports betting does not sound close to becoming a reality anytime soon, as there are a number of factors working against it.
Gambling is legal at the state’s tribal casinos and pari-mutuel facilities. The Seminole Tribe of South Florida has operated several brick-and-mortar casinos, paying a flat fee to the state in revenue. However, horse racetracks and jai-alai frontons were greenlighted for another form of gambling, designated player card games, sometimes resulting in wagering up to $50,000 per hand. The Seminole Tribe was unhappy that they did not have exclusivity to table-game wagering and balked at paying money back to the state.
Negotiations have been underway to make the Seminole Tribe, the pari-mutuel facilities and Republican Governor Ron DeSantis all happy. While Gov. DeSantis has been reluctant to expand gambling in the state, legislators have been working on a deal that would make the tribal casinos a hub for sports betting. This would essentially mean the tribal casinos would get a percentage of the overall gambling revenue made even outside of their facilities. The sticking point might be if the Seminole Tribe only wants sports betting at their brick-and-mortar facilities, completely shutting out the racetracks, jai-alai frontons, etc.
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Does Florida Allow Online Sports Betting
Another obstacle might be the voters themselves. While a deal could be hammered out to make please everyone, a ballot initiative passed by voters in 2018 required any gambling expansion outside of the tribal casinos and the lottery required to be initiated by the voters, not the state legislature.
Florida Sports Betting And Sportsbook Apps 2021
As mentioned above, legalizing sports betting in the state doesn’t seem to be close at this point.
Legal Sports Betting Online Florida
Online sportsbooks in Florida
None.
Retail sportsbooks in Florida
None.
Sports Betting In Florida Legal Florida Betting Sites + Laws
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