- Is Sports Gambling Legal In Florida
- Florida State Bingo Laws
- Is Internet Gambling Legal In Florida
- Where Is Gambling Legal In Florida
Legal Daily Fantasy Betting Age in Florida. Because DFS is not technically legal in Florida, there isn’t a legal gambling age for players. Despite this, DFS operators only allow players that are 18 years and older, while Florida only allows players who are over 18 to participate in the state lottery and 21 years old to gamble at casinos. If a player is caught gambling underage, it is considered a misdemeanor and is punishable with no longer than 60 days in prison or a fine of $500. Florida’s gambling laws are regulated and all legal gambling includes casino gaming, tribal gambling, casino boats, horse racing, dog racing, Bingo, the state lottery, and charitable gambling. The casino boats are interesting because they allow bettors to board luxury boats that travel offshore where gambling is technically not illegal. Nov/30/2019 MyBookie.ag is a popular online sports betting site but, while legal in Florida, it is not currently among the Gambling911.com Endorsed Sportsbooks. Jazz Sportsbook, in business since. Legal Gambling Age in Florida Players must be 18 years of age or older to play at offline and online poker rooms, horse and dog tracks, and online bingo sites. The minimum age to play at land based casinos, online casinos and online sportsbooks is 21. Online Poker in Florida.
Despite Florida’s huge gambling market, customers are limited to just seven tribal casinos and various horse tracks and (now-defunct) dog tracks that operate as card rooms.
In fact, this latter aspect of the FL gambling industry has caused the state to be in violation of its exclusivity compact with the Seminole Tribe, who had a favorable ruling in federal court that annulled their casino profit-sharing obligations. This has cost the state over $400 million per year since 2019, when the tribe stopped paying. Since then, all expanded gambling measures in FL have hinged on the renewal of that Seminole compact.
Fortunately, as a bettor or gambler in FL, you don’t have to be stuck in the middle while the state government is a stick in the mud. That’s because you are free to legally gamble anytime – in any market – by visiting legal Florida online casinos.
Whether you’re a casino player, sports betting fan, or poker player, if you’re looking for high-quality and safe gaming experience, you can get one by visiting any legitimate Florida online gambling site a shot. However, before you consider participating in Internet gambling, we suggest you review the information concerning Florida online gambling laws.
Below, we address the details of Florida betting law as it pertains to both brick-and-mortar and online gambling. To learn more about all FL laws concerning casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms, our short guide has everything under the sun for residents of the Sunshine State.
Other Florida Gambling Pages
Where Does Florida Stand On Legal Online Casino Gambling?
Florida has recently banned “Internet cafes” that were operating as unregulated online casinos, though the state’s view towards online gaming in general doesn’t appear to be antagonistic.
However, there are significant hurdles due to the fact that FL casino gambling is the exclusive domain of the Seminole and Miccosukee tribal nations. This means that the state cannot unilaterally expand gambling online without the tribes’ involvement and approval. Talks are ongoing, but they are moving at a snail’s pace.
In the meantime, it is legal for FL residents to gamble online at legitimate offshore casinos. These venues operate outside of US jurisdiction, and there are no FL gambling laws or federal gambling laws that bar access to these destinations. Over an estimated one million FL gamblers already use these sites and have been members at them for over a generation.
Naturally, FL would like to put itself in a position to bring some of these customers back into the domestic gaming fold, but no iGaming legislation has made its way through the state congress to date.
That said, the state does appear to be moving towards allowing tribal brick-and-mortar casinos to offer the two casino games they’re currently unable to provide: craps and roulette. While the 2020 legislative session concluded without any such gambling legislation being passed, there is enough momentum that the issue is likely to be revisited in 2021.
Where Does Florida Stand On Legal Online Sports Betting?
Bookmaking is a serious offense under Florida law. However, you’re a sports bettor, not a bookie, and there are no laws barring individual FL residents from betting on sports online provided they use a legitimately licensed offshore operator.
To reiterate: The existing laws surrounding sports betting in FL target bookmakers and not players, and they address unregulated gaming operators specifically.
Legally licensed and regulated online sports betting is not prohibited as long as those operators are based internationally outside of US jurisdiction. Fortunately, there are several high quality, safe, and legitimate Florida online sportsbooks to choose from.
As for when Florida will make domestic sports betting legal so that operators in the state can offer betting lines on all the most popular college and pro teams in the region, that remains to be seen.
Right now, the Seminole Tribe of Florida is exercising its leverage with exclusive gaming rights to prevent commercial sportsbooks from operating in the region. To make any progress on the domestic sports gambling front, the state will likely have to give sports betting exclusivity to the Seminole. And even then, it’s unclear whether or not that would include online sports betting.
Where Does Florida Stand On Legal Online Poker?
Online poker is becoming increasingly popular in FL. The Sunshine State does not specifically prohibit online poker at the individual level, but there are laws against online poker operators that are based in the state. Recently, there have been attempts to legalize online poker in FL, though this has gotten nowhere.
In fact, when the state approved non-house-banked poker at non-tribal FL venues, it violated the Seminole Tribe’s exclusivity compact, and fixing this is now the biggest gambling issue before the FL legislature. Online poker won’t be addressed until long after this issue is resolved.
Meanwhile, there are a number of legal Florida online poker rooms which operate and are regulated outside of the United States. As long as you’re at least 18 and live in FL, you can use these online poker rooms to play for and win real money.
We do stress that being selective in choosing the brands to which you will bring your business is paramount in accessing a safe and secure online gambling experience, which is why you need to read our above-linked Florida online poker guide.
Florida Gambling Laws
There are a number of Florida gambling laws to be aware of, but the long and short of it is that the following markets are currently legal in a domestic operator capacity:
- Tribal casino gaming (21+ Class III, 18+ Class II)
- Horse racing betting (18+)
- Greyhound betting (18+, expires Dec. 31, 2020)
- Jai Alai betting (18+)
- Cardroom poker (age limit varies)
- State lottery (18+)
- Charitable gambling (18+)
If you sign up with an online operator that is based overseas and is regulated and certified to offer gambling opportunities to FL players, you can enjoy all the following markets over the Internet legally and safely:
- Casino gambling (18+)
- Sports betting (18+)
- Online poker (18+)
- Horse racing betting (18+)
- Greyhound racing (18+)
- Online lotteries (18+)
In addition to FL gambling laws, there are two federal gambling laws to be aware of. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) places stringent regulatory oversight on how online gambling-related transactions are processed, which is why we recommend Bitcoin gambling for deposits and withdrawals when playing offshore (as the UIGEA can lead to credit/debit card rejections).
There is also the Federal Wire Act to consider, though this applies only to sports betting and prevents FL residents from having their sports bets accepted by sportsbooks in other states.
Neither law prohibits online gambling for FL residents at operators based outside of the United States, so as long as you are playing at an online casino, sportsbook, poker room, racebook, or bingo hall that is legally licensed in its own home country, you are in the clear.
FL Gambling Law Guide Summary
The online gambling professionals who created this guide consider it critical that FL players have access to accurate and up-to-date information regarding the online gambling laws in Florida.
Throughout this guide, we only recommend gambling brands which are legally licensed, certified, and regulated by respected and legitimate governing jurisdictions. This is true for the online casinos, Florida online bingo halls, and the poker rooms and sports betting sites we list in this guide.
To review the official gambling laws for Florida in their original language, you’ll want to visit the Florida State Legislature website, which provides these laws and statutes in their entirety. That source does not provide any legal interpretation of the laws, however. If legal FL gambling advice is what you’re looking for, then contacting an attorney is your best option.
***The information on this page is intended to reflect our educated opinions and analyses based on personal experience as industry professionals. It is not intended in any way to serve as legal advice. We are not lawyers and are not qualified to provide professional legal advice in any capacity.
The Sunshine state is a casino haven for many gamblers. Their tribal casinos are dotted across the southern part of the state. They also have pari-mutuel casinos, casino cruises, and agreat state lottery.
As of now, Florida does not allow online casinos or sportsbooks. They were slated to have serious discussions about legalization in 2020. But that now seems postponed to 2021.
Still, Florida has some exciting opportunities for land-based casino lovers.
Online Casinos in Florida
Although Florida has a long tradition with some great landbased casinos, it has not legalized online casinos. There have been discussions about legalizing online casinos in the statecapital, but there seems to be little actual motion toward legalization at this point.
Florida does have a state lottery, which can indicate an openness to other forms of betting.
The nearest state where online casinos are legal West Virginia. The online casinos are now operational there!
But, you can still register with a legal online casino while you're in Florida. That means you can get the casino's bonus offers or deposit, and then play whenever you're in stateswhere it's legal. (Do be aware of the casino bonus's expiry date, though.)
Land-Based Casinos in Florida
Florida has a number of different types of land-based casinos.
There are:
- 6 Native American tribal casinos
- casino boats
- 8 pari-mutuel casinos
- state lottery
Types of Casinos in Florida
There are three types of Florida casinos:
- Native American tribal casinos
- casino boats
- gaming machines at pari-mutuels in two south Florida counties
At the moment there is no serious legislation moving toward widening the land-based betting options in Florida.
Tribal Casinos
There are currently six Florida tribal casinos. The Seminole Tribe has five and the sixth is on the Miccosukee Tribe’s reservation.
The Seminoles signed a compact with the state that allows them to offer traditional Class III gaming machines. As part of their compact, five Seminole casinos are also allowed to offer
- blackjack
- baccarat
- mini-baccarat
- three card poker
- let it ride
- pai gow poker
All of the Indian casinos are open 24 hours (except Big Cypress) and all offer bingo except for both Seminole Hard Rock Casinos and the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.
Best of video poker. The minimum gambling age is 18 at all Indian casinos for bingo or poker and 21 for electronic gaming machines.
Pari-mutuel casinos
There are eight pari-mutuel casinos in Florida.
In early 2005 voters in Broward County (home county of Fort Lauderdale) passed a referendum to allow slot machines at four pari-mutuel facilities within that county and all are now inoperation.
In January 2008 voters in Miami-Dade County also passed a referendum permitting slot machines at four pari-mutuel facilities.
Click HERE to see a list of Florida casino slot machine payback statistics.
South Florida’s pari-mutuel facilities (as well as most pari-mutuels throughout the state), also offer poker.
Admission to all casinos is free and they are allowed to be open a maximum of 18 hours per day during the week and 24 hours on the weekends and some holidays.
If you want to order a drink while playing, be aware that Florida gaming regulations do not allow pari-mutuel casinos to provide free alcoholic beverages.
List of Pari-mutuel casinos
- Big Easy Casino
- Calder Casino
- Casino Miami
- [email protected] Beach
- Gulfstream Park
- Hialeah Park Racing & Casino
- Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park
- Magic City Casino
Casino Boats
The casino boats in Florida offer gamblers the opportunity to board ships that cruise offshore where casino gambling is legal. From the west coast, the boats travel nine miles out into the Gulfof Mexico. From the East coast, they travel three miles out into the Atlantic Ocean.
The minimum drinking age on all boats is 21. Due to security restrictions, you must present a photo ID at all casino boats or you will not be allowed to board.
List Of Land-based Casinos In Florida
Miccosukee Resort and Gaming Center
- Address: 500 SW 177th Ave, Miami, FL 33194
- Hours: ·8am–2am
- Phone: 305-222-4600
- Website: www.mrg.miccosukee.com
Miccosukee Resort and Gaming Center has nearly 70,000 square feet of casino game space. This includes nearly 2,000 slots.
In addition to casino games, they also have high-stakes bingo.
Seminole Casino Brighton
- Address: 17735 Reservation Rd, Okeechobee, FL 34974, United States
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Phone: +1 800-360-9875
- Website: www.seminolebrightoncasino.com
Seminole Casino Brighton is a 27,000 sq. ft. casino. They have a moderate 400+ slot and gaming machines. They have a number of table games and high-stake bingo.
Seminole Casino Immokalee
- Address: 506 S 1st St, Immokalee, FL 34142
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Phone: 239-658-1313
- Website: www.seminoleimmokaleecasino.com
Seminole Casino Immokalee has 75,000 sq. ft. of casino action. They have over 30 table games, including: blackjack, baccarat, poker, and pai gow, and 3-card poker. This isin addition to a large selection of slots and video poker machines.
Seminole Classic Casino
- Address: 4150 FL-7, Hollywood, FL 33021
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Phone: +1 954-961-3220
- Website: www.seminoleclassiccasino.com
Seminole Classic Casino features a 73,500-sq. ft. casino floor with over 1,000 slot machines. They also have live-action table games and a very large high-stakes bingo room.
Is Sports Gambling Legal In Florida
Seminole Hard Rock Coconut Creek
- Address: 5550 NW 40th St, Coconut Creek, FL 33073
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Phone: 954-977-6700
- Website: www.seminolecoconutcreekcasino.com
The recently renovated Seminole Hard Rock Coconut Creek hosts over 2000 Las Vegas-style slots. They also offer around 70 live table games, including blackjack, baccarat, 3-card poker, ultimateTexas hold ’em, pai gow poker, let it ride, Spanish 21, casino war.
Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood
- Address: 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, FL 33314
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Phone: +1 866-502-7529
- Website: www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com
The Hard Rock Hollywood has a new 30,000 sq. ft. casino gaming area. It offers nearly 200 table games, 3,100 slot machines, and a new 45-table Poker Room.
Seminole Hard Rock Tampa
- Address: 5223 Orient Rd, Tampa, FL 33610, United States
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Phone: +1 866-388-4263
- Website: www.seminolehardrocktampa.com
Florida State Bingo Laws
If you like size, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa is up your alley. It's huge 245,000 sq. ft. casino is the sixth-largest in the world. They have a great selection of slots, andtable games include everything from blackjack to baccarat, Pai Gow, Casino War, and Let It Ride. Their poker room features Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Seven-Card Stud amongother games.