Florida Online Betting
At this time legalized sports wagering has not made its way to Florida.
The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was overturned on May 14, 2018, allowing each state in the country to propose and create their own laws and regulations for sports betting.
However, two years later and the Sunshine State has yet to adopt sports betting.
There is, however, a long history of gambling in the state dating back to the 1930s. Back then residents could get their fix with horse and greyhound racing as well as jai alai frontons that offer poker rooms and slots. While slot machines had a short existence in the ’30s, they were brought back to tribal casinos in the 1980s and approved for racetracks in 2004. Gambling offerings have expanded to table games with tribal casinos thereafter and the state of Florida currently has eight casinos, plus several offshore cruise casinos. All this in addition to the state lottery, Mega Millions, Powerball, and bingo offerings.
Many are now asking how to bet on Super Bowl LV in Florida online. Here’s a quick article that explains exactly how place bets online in FL. Legal Online Gambling For Florida Residents While legal online gambling for Florida residents is something that the Florida legislature has considered in the past, there has yet to be a move toward regulation. On the other hand, there has yet to be a law that has made it illegal for gamblers to participate online. Florida residents who wish to partake in sports betting will have to venture to neighboring states that have sports betting legalized – or they can sign up at an online sportsbook.
Florida sports bettors will be hopeful of seeing legalized sports betting as there are very few opportunities to do so right now. Currently, none of Florida’s closest neighbors, South Carolina, Georgia, or Alabama, offer legalized sports betting either.
When Will Online Sports Betting Be Legal in Florida?
Currently, there are bills on the table to be discussed in the 2020 legislative session. In October 2019, State Senator Jeff Brandes submitted three bills that would give the Florida Lottery the ability to operate mobile sports betting.
If passed, they would be put into effect later in 2020.
Florida has an acceptable and progressive view of sports gambling, so it isn’t farfetched to foresee legalization in the near future. Not to mention, Florida is a hot-bed for sports with multiple major teams in the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS, and more.
To legalize sports betting, an agreement would need to be worked out though with the Seminole Tribe, as they own the Hard Rock casinos in the state. However, because Florida hasn’t cracked down on player card games at various venues, the Seminole Tribe has refused to continue to pay their $350 million revenue sharing payments to the state. Offering the Tribe exclusive rights to running sports betting at their casinos could be a way to rectify the situation.
With that big hole in the state budget and the tribe looking to bring in additional revenue themselves, some form of legalized sports betting could make its way to Florida during 2021.
That said, any progress will first need to start with an agreement by the House and Senate as well as the Seminole Tribe and would eventually need to be voted on as a constitutional amendment.
Florida Sports Betting FAQs
Can you bet on sports in Florida?
Florida doesn’t have any online sports betting laws, meaning it can’t license any operator to run online sports betting sites in the state.
Does FanDuel sportsbook work in Florida?
FanDuel and DraftKings currently accept Florida players and allow daily fantasy sports betting.
What are the major sports teams in Florida?
Florida Legal Online Betting
Major sports teams in Florida include the Marlins, Rays, Heat, Magic, Jaguars, Dolphins, Buccaneers, Panthers, Orlando City FC, and Inter Miami CF.