Florida Gambling Laws – Current Legislations
Gambling in the United States has a long history. Throughout the years, many gambling activities were either banned or legalized. Some states have established as a major gambling destination for many years ago and continue to keep that reputation in present days. On the other hand, as time went by, different gaming activities started to be legalized in other stated where gambling was forbidden for a long time. And nowadays, the ever-growing popularity of online gambling and the latest federal law adjustments, many states adopted and launched different online gaming activities.
Florida is one of the US states, where gambling sees prosperous opportunities and takes part in the economic development of the jurisdiction. But what are the current Florida gambling laws and how both land-based and online gaming activities are regulated in Florida?
In this article, we will tell you a bit more about the current legal situation in Florida related to gambling. We will focus on the most important pieces of legislation that help regulate the gambling industry in the state. We will also discuss what types of gaming activities are allowed and if there are any online gambling laws in Florida. Here are the topics that we will discuss in this article:
Gambling laws in Florida – Short History and Overview
Gambling activities in Florida date back in the days of the great depression in 1932, when pari-mutuel gambling was legalized to help the state generate more income. In those years sports betting was also legalized and later in 1935 slot machines were also legalized. This led to the growth of tourism in the state and contributed to the diverse gambling environment in Florida that we know today.
The interesting thing is that in 1973 the Florida gambling laws were changed, which lead to the removal of the slot machines from the casinos in Florida. Later, in 1979, the Native American bingo halls were introduced to the state and became a permanent part of the gambling landscape. The 1980s were interesting years for gambling I the state as some companies tried to slip the law somehow and started offering gaming services on board of ships on the coastline where the state jurisdiction was out of reach.
It was not until 1986 when the Florida lottery was legalized. In the same year, the law shut down the casinos in the state. In 2004 it was voted that casinos should be reopened again and since then they are legal and active. Today, Florida has around 130 casinos spread across the territory of the state. Compared to other states, this is a relatively big number and for this reason, Florida ranks on the fourth position in the USA in the number of land-based casinos.
The big number of casinos also helped the state to become a quite attractive tourist destination. The connection between gambling and tourism in Florida roots in the years of the great depression. Even then, the state outlined a significant increase in revenues and tourist activity thanks to the interest in gambling. However, nowadays, in the ever-developing era of the online gaming industry, online gambling laws in Florida are still not on the agenda.
Florida tribal gambling
An interesting fact concerning Florida gambling laws is that the state was one of the first ones to legalize tribal gambling. Thanks to the Indian Regulatory Gaming Act of 1988, tribal gambling was introduced to the state. During this period, around eight casinos were established by the local tribes. Those casinos generated a significant income for the state. Seminole Tribe of Florida is the official institution in Florida that regulates the tribal gambling establishments. It is responsible for the licensing as well.
Florida Gambling Activities – Types and Regulations
Currently, in the state of Florida, different types of gambling activities are allowed. The Florida Statutes 849.01 is the legislative regulatory act that controls the gambling activities within the territory of the state. And according to the 848th section of the Florida code, participating in unlicensed gambling activities is considered a felony. Nonetheless, the state does not forbid home gaming and there are not any regulations that ban online gambling from home. According to the Florida gambling legislation, the minimum legal age to play casino games is 21 and 18 for the lottery games, horse racing, bingo, etc.
Florida Casinos – Major Source of Income
In the state of Florida, the land-based casino games are available only in racetracks and tribal casinos. Any other independent gaming rooms are not allowed to offer slots or even table games. The biggest tribal casinos are located in Tampa, Miami, Immokalee and Coconut Creek. Some of the tribal casinos in these locations offer more than 1000 slot machines. However, there are still not any concrete Florida online gambling laws that specify whether online casino games are entirely prohibited and what online platforms can be accessed by people in the state.
Poker Games in Florida
Throughout the territory of the state, there are quite many card rooms that offer poker games too. Actually, Florida is one of the top poker destinations in the United States. The Florida gambling legislation was amended throughout the years accordingly to make this possible. However, players should visit only licensed poker rooms. Other gaming rooms that offer poker but don’t have a permit are strictly prosecuted by law. Besides, not any Florida online gambling laws state that playing poker online is legal.
Sportsbetting in Florida
Although gambling laws in Florida allow land-based casino games, still betting on traditional sports is not legal. And it does not seem that it will be soon introduced to the state as there is still quite big resistance bout it. The only betting activity that is not prohibited in Florida is betting on horses and dogs. Players who are eager to bet on sports can access the offshore online gaming platforms, but still, the legitimacy of this activity is not very clear.
Florida Lottery
Florida has its own state lottery that offers various lottery games. However, they are available only in special land-based establishments. There are more than 14,000 licensed land-based locations where you can play lottery games such as Mega Millions or Powerball. Keep in mind that there is an official Florida Lottery website, but it does not offer lottery games online. It serves as an information hub only.
Online Gambling in Florida
Many states passed specific laws nad started to introduce online gambling. Nowadays, playing online from offshore online gaming platforms is allowed in many states. Some states even started issuing licenses to the best USA online casino sites that want to legally offer their services to reach to a bigger target audience in the US.
However, there are still not any estimated Florida online gambling laws that allow online gaming activities throughout the territory of the state. With the increased growth of the local gambling revenues in recent years, many official representatives in the state acknowledged that online gambling laws in Florida should be voted to allow this activity as it may help generate even higher income. However, some of the representatives of the tribal gaming establishments are sceptical and assume that any forms of legal online gambling will disturb the current situation because of the unspecified legal and legislative status of online gambling.
| Gambling Activity | Status |
|---|---|
| Land-Based Casinos | Allowed |
| Land-Based Betting | Allowed |
| Land-Based Poker | Allowed |
| Land-Based Lottery | Allowed |
| Online Gambling | Not Allowed |
Florida Gambling Legislation – Final Words
Florida is certainly one of the states where people can enjoy various gambling activities. Florida gambling laws allow many land-based establishments to operate legally and to provide gaming services to customers. However, they should be attempted only at the licensed land-based establishments. Florida is one fo the states where gambling is well-managed and advertised and generates tremendous income.
Still, quite many legislative changes have to be passed if the state wants to have a competitive gambling environment. One of the steps that have to be taken is introducing online gambling as well. This tendency started to emerge recently and quite many states are now on the task of passing the respective legislative frames that will allow online gambling. And soon, gambling laws in Florida may also change to help the state become more competitive in the gambling landscape in the United States.
Frequenslty Asked Questions About Florida Gambling Laws
If you want to get some more details on the topic about the gambling laws in Florida, then have a look at the section below. Here, we have prepared short answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Florida gambling legislation that might give you extra information.
