Presently offline and online sports gambling isn’t legal in the state of Florida, but won’t be the case for longterm. Florida is in a unique position when it comes to legalizing online sports gambling. Following the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in May of 2018 to overturn the skilled and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), several nations jumped headfirst into this multi-billion dollar industry and instantly legalized sports gambling.
Florida, unfortunately, was not among these.
There are numerous reasons that is the case however, the largest one has to do with the state’s longtime streamlined with the Seminole Tribe, which we’ll tell you more about below. The uncertainty about the long term future of this agreement has been the biggest variable in the Sunshine State’s wait-and-see strategy to legalization.
Nonetheless, there are alternatives for taxpayers of Florida while they await the nation’s legislators to behave. Daily fantasy sports websites for example DraftKings and FanDuel accept players from Florida.
Horse racing websites like TwinSpires also operate in the state.
The lack of urgency and motion on this matter is certainly frustrating for gamers, however it may not stay this way indefinitely.
The sport gambling landscape is shifting across the nation and while it is taking some state’s a very long time (some longer than others), it is widely believed that it is merely a matter of time before Florida gets in on the action.
This page is the complete guide to everything 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 much more detail and explain how it figures into how sports betting regulation will take shape in Florida in the years to come.
We will also keep this page update with significant developments that can help or hurt Florida’s odds of introducing legal sports gambling in the not too distant future.
For more information on other nations, read our state by state guides to US sports betting laws.
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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 conclusions with respect to legalizing sports gambling in their jurisdiction. Each state can choose whether to do it all and if so, how the regulations will work.
Since every state has its own history and political/economic climate, we are very likely to see change occur at a different rate depending on which part of the country you are discussing.
In some cases the switch to legal sports gambling was already in the works and happened instantaneously. In other regions the switch seems inevitable and is only waiting for laws or other red tape to be dealt with. In different places, legalization of sports gambling might not happen at all.
Florida falls somewhere in the midst of those groups. The state is receptive to gambling in general but there is legal work that has to be done before full-scale sports betting will be made available.
The present state of legal online sports gambling in Florida is a bit complex, to say the least.
Though Florida now has the authority to legalize sports betting, there are a few things standing whatsoever. The largest barrier is that the pact that the state has with the Seminole Tribe.
Essentially, the agreement gives the Seminole Tribe a monopoly on most of casino card games (blackjack, pai gow, casino poker variations, etc). On the other hand, the arrangement has become somewhat tenuous and the new possibility of legal sports gambling has made the discussions even more complex.
As it stands now, nothing is now occurring on the legalization front and also the first chance for anything to change will be March 2019, when the Florida Legislature meets next.
Florida certainly does not fall to the”Never going to happen” class in regards to legal sports gambling but it’s also not likely to be leading the charge towards regulation. Like many states, however, Florida will have a hard time dismissing the potential revenue when they see other nearby states begin to reap the rewards.
The Annals of Online Sports Betting in Florida
Florida is among those states where sports gambling laws have not changed much over the past 50 years or so.
Over the decades 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 government made inter-state sports betting illegal together with the Federal Wire act.
The issue with this plan of action, not unlike what occurred with the prohibition of alcohol, is it only drove the company and stream of cash further underground.
Three decades later, in 1992, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was introduced in an effort to protect the integrity of American sport by making betting on games prohibited anywhere outside of Nevada. Americans may not have been in a position to gamble on sports domestically but it was not long then the net made it possible for offshore sportsbooks to provide their solutions to US gamers online.
Ever since then, the US has missed out on a massive revenue opportunity in the form of controlled sports betting. There’s clearly a huge market for this as Americans spend billions annually wagering on sports in vegas and via unregulated off-shore casinos and sportsbooks.
As of this writing, sports gambling hasn’t been legal in Florida, interesting because the country has a relatively large gambling culture.
Racetracks and casinos have become common place across the state, yet neither provides legalized sports betting. The nearest thing people in Florida can bet on is puppy and horse-racing and the sport of jai alai which has been popular and legal to bet on in the country since the 1960s.
The only option sports gamblers have to place wagers on games would be to use one of several offshore options, which are currently illegal.
Which Online Sports Betting Sites Are Legal in Florida?
As you can imagine, there aren’t any”legal” online sports gambling sites in Florida. But, several offshore options exist for internet sports bettors, but nothing which could constitute as legal.
While not technically illegal, offshore sportsbooks are insecure to use since they are located in far-off nations and not subject to real regulations or oversight. If something goes wrong with the company or your accounts, it is extremely difficult to resolve the situation.
Our advice would be to await legal and fully controlled choices to arrive in the USA.
In the forthcoming months, after March of 2019 in particular, we highly recommend returning for this webpage for an upgrade as we plan to keep readers updated on all things regarding the legalization of sports gambling across America.
What Sports Can You Bet on Online in Florida?
As of this moment, there are no sports you can wager on lawfully online or away. However, if sports betting does become legalized in the state of Florida, it is going to bring with it a whole slate of professional and amateuer sports to wager on.
Florida has a huge sports culture and tons of pro teams for residents to root for. Here are some of the nation’s teams that will bring in a good deal of gambling action.
Soccer Florida is home to three NFL franchises in the Miami Dolphins, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Jacksonville Jaguars so Floridians will have lots of local NFL choices to bet on when it becomes legal.
The state also has a slew of NCAA teams with the largest being the Florida Gators and the Florida State Seminoles. Also drawing comparatively massive audiences for faculty ball are the Miami Hurricanes, the South Florida Bulls along with the UCF Knights.
Basketball
Basketball is huge in Florida and the country is represented by not one but two NBA teams: The Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic. When sports gambling becomes lawful in Florida you can expect a lot of action to center 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 were founded in the 1990s. Florida is also home to MLB Spring Training annually which may also be potential to bet on in the future.
Hockey
If you hear ice hockey you might not think about Florida but the game is relatively popular with just two NHL franchises based in the country. The Tampa Bay Lighting and the Florida Panthers that play home games at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. Sunrise is a city just west of Ft. Lauderdale and just north of Miami.
Wagering on Other Sports
After legalization occurs effect, individuals in Florida will be able to wager on all manner of pro sports, not just teams located in the nation. Gator and Seminole lovers are also eager to know that school sports should be accessible to bet on too, giving residents an opportunity to bet on dozens of college sports matches each weekend.
When the time does come we see legalized sports betting in the state of Florida, it’d probably start with property based sportsbooks within a brick and mortar casino. Land-based betting is usually followed by online sportsbooks that offer the same betting choices as live places.
Can There Be No-Deposit Sports Betting at Florida?
Given that online sports betting is still illegal, the matter of no deposit betting is now moot. Nonetheless, in the event that online sports betting becomes legal, citizens of Florida can anticipate a similar approach to what other nations are offering.
In states like New York and Mississippi, bettors are usually required to create a deposit upon registration so as to make real money stakes. That said, no-deposit promotions are very popular and should you find one, take it. Bear in mind, however, that any kind of advertising regarding no-deposit wagering usually includes a few strings attached.
Depositing rules vary from each online sportsbook you decide to use, so be sure to pay close attention to playthrough requirements, withdrawal restrictions and any additional fine print that includes the deal.
What’s the Future of Online Sports Betting in Florida?
The most instant key date will come in March, as that’s the next time the Florida Legislature will fulfill. Until then, there’s quite a lot of work that needs to be carried out as a way to figure out the implications of legalized sports gambling on the present compact between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe.
However, with an increasing number of states opting for legalization, it’s likely a matter of when not if sports gambling will become legal in Florida. Though the Sunshine State may be moving at a slower rate than its neighbours, we predict it’s simply a matter of time until legislation is passed to push legalization forward.
There is also belief that a important portion 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 path ahead.
What This Means For Sports Gamblers at Florida
Have patience.
In other words, there’s far too much money up for grabs for Florida to ignore legalized sports gambling forever, particularly as an increasing number of states move in that direction. When there are specific complications facing Florida, nothing inspires politicians more than prospective earnings.
Add to that the fact that folks in Florida enjoy sports and love to gamble and you’ve got the recipe for a thriving sports betting market.
Until then, patience is required from sports gamblers throughout the state. If you’re on the lookout for updates about the situation, check back regularly as we’ll update this article as new information comes in.
We recommend circling March, 2019, on your calendars as it marks a meeting of the state legislature where talks on how Florida intends to proceed on this issue are on the agenda.
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