Best Betting Sites in Florida — Illegal with Halted Process

Online betting appeared to be on the rise in Florida until the tide changed. Gov. Ron DeSantis seemed to have reached an arrangement with the Seminole Tribe of Florida that appeared to be a compromise on legal Florida sports betting and the contentious issues of online sports wagering and mobile casinos.

Then, in December 2021, the plug was pulled, and all momentum was apparently lost. As of now, sports betting is not legal in the state of Florida, despite its promising legal sanctioning in 2021. The Seminole Tribe is presently challenging the state’s earlier judgment, so fans of Florida betting sites will have to wait until the court decides.

Throughout this article, we will try to get to the heart of the matter by giving you an overview of all legal betting alternatives available, plus a current update on where Florida sports betting sites stand in the eyes of the law. Rest assured that we only recommend certified and trustworthy sites here. Let’s begin!

Legal Betting Options for Florida Residents

While the jury is still out on the legalities of Florida online sports betting, there are still plenty of legal betting alternatives for residents of Florida.

At the present moment, the only authorized forms of gambling in Florida are retail casino gambling, horse racing, and the state lottery. Over the next several sections, we’ll take a closer look at each and explain how they fit into the complexities of Florida’s gaming regulations.

Other States with Legal Online Sports Betting

If you’re a sports fan who is upset by what you’ve learned from this feature on Florida online sports betting and fantasizing about leaving the Sunshine State to place sporting bets in a nearby state, we have bad news for you.

Unfortunately for residents, Florida currently has no neighboring states that allow legal sports betting. None of the neighboring states have established their own sports betting markets as of this year.

In fact, sports betting is illegal in both Alabama and Georgia. What this means for the average law-abiding citizen is that they will have to be patient and hope that legislation will change soon.

Best Betting Sites in Florida — The Situation Might Change

Let’s imagine for a moment with our mind’s eyes, what exactly would legalized sports betting in Florida look like? What if it was actually possible to bet from the palms of our hands on the latest fixtures and tournaments? What would that look like? And how would we know we determine trustworthiness?

One of the results of this 2021 deal between the Seminole and Gov. Santis, was the establishment of a new Florida Gaming Commission that would oversee and regulate all online gaming activity. In our experience, it’s paramount that you should only ever play at legal, and licensed sites.

Any Florida betting sites that would be worth their salt should offer fair payout rates and the latest SSL encryption technology that should ensure your sensitive financial data is safe. A quick telltale sign of this is a padlock icon next to the URL address of the site in question.

Additionally, any respectable site should protect young and vulnerable gamblers by integrating protocols that require players to verify their age and offer the options to include self-exclusion and timeout periods to prevent harmful gambling behaviors.

Any Florida sports fans reading this will be well aware of the rich tapestry of celebrated, major-league sports teams that hail from the Sunshine state, such as the Miami Dolphins. As such, any of the best betting sites in Florida should offer extensive coverage of all major leagues, such as the NFL, NHL, and NBA, as well as top-level matches of elite combat sports like boxing or MMA.

A Synopsis of Florida’s Gambling Laws

While the laws governing gambling in physical casino facilities in Florida are somewhat lenient, they are more stringent when it comes to online gambling. Floridians must make do with the state’s numerous reserve casinos and casino cruise ships and bingo halls because no legislation has yet been passed enabling real money gambling on Florida betting sites.

To reiterate, sports betting is likewise illegal in the state of Florida, as are online casino sites in the state. Although there is still no word on when officials will deliberate on gambling legislation. Florida’s laws are among the least amenable to change, which means that new legislation cannot be passed without the popular vote.

This means that in order to pass, 60 percent of the state’s citizens must vote one-way in a referendum. Here’s a quick breakdown on the legalities of popular betting types in Florida.

As you can tell from the table above, the legal gambling age in Florida differs with certain games as it does in many other states. Players must be at least 18 years old to participate in bingo or the lotto. To play table games, slots, and bet on races, players must be at least 21 years old.

Intriguingly, the infamous casino cruises departing often from Port Canaveral are an exception to the rule. You can play a range of casino games on these boats if you’re over the age of 18 as they’re beyond the reaches of Florida’s laws. As you may have guessed, the state’s minimum drinking age is mirrored in the gambling age, as both sit at 21.

History of Sports Betting and Gambling in Florida

The conflicting views of numerous states in the United States towards gambling have always been fascinating to observe. However, the interaction between Florida residents and betting is even more intriguing. Although it’s been legal in certain forms since the Great Depression, gambling has a complicated history in Florida.

As such, gambling has appeared on the Florida ballot on multiple occasions. Generally speaking, Florida voters have historically been opposed to large gambling expansions. This hasn’t stopped big-money interests from seeking to pass legislation straight through the ballot box, bypassing the more conservative legislature.

For a brief overview of the history of sports betting in Florida, we invite you to check out our chart below.

While the table is a brief outline of all the steps that led to the creation of gambling websites in Florida, it’s important to briefly explain the ramifications of this agreement. What’s important to note, is that if sports betting is struck down by the courts, it won’t affect the rest of the agreement between the state and the Tribe.

Part of this 2021 agreement between the state and the tribe meant that the Seminole Tribe had access to exclusive rights to operate sports betting in Florida, a 30-year exclusive right on casinos, plus exclusive rights to craps and roulette games. In exchange, the Tribe would pay the state at least $500 million a year to the US Government.

When groups like DraftKings began to run their own sports betting enterprises in Florida in late 2021, the Tribe appealed to the courts which has led to the recent stalemate. If it sounds confusing, it’s because it is. At the moment we will have to be patient and see how it unfolds down the line, although we’ll be sure to keep you up-to-date as the case unfolds.

If you’d like to know more, check out our guide to online betting.

Our Predictions for the Future of Sports Betting in Florida

As we dim the spotlight on Florida’s betting laws, we’d like to invite you to gaze into our crystal ball as we make our predictions on what the future holds for Florida’s best betting sites.

Legislators and Seminole leaders are still debating the future of legal sports betting in Florida, leaving residents in the state in a state of limbo with no clear timeline for a resolution. While sports betting behemoths like FanDuel and Draftkings continue to hang their hopes on live Florida sports betting in 2023, they aren’t the only entities with a formidable influence on what’s to come.

Given that Miami alone has five major league sports teams, not to mention two in Orlando, three in Tampa Bay, and one in Jacksonville, it’s tough to conceive that sports betting either online or in-person will not become legal in the near future.

With so much money to be made from Florida betting sites, the brass tacks seem to come down to, well, tax revenue and control. Although the Seminole tribe has maintained control over Florida betting for decades, lobbying has a huge sway on American politics.

Additionally, the enormous popularity of this pastime in legal sports betting states implies that Floridians would likely embrace internet sports betting if it were made available. If and when the time comes, we’ll bring you the full lowdown on the best betting sites Florida bettors can enjoy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Despite our best efforts, you may still have some unanswered queries about the legal relationship between the best Florida betting sites and their relationship to the law. You can reach us at info@bestbettingsites.com if this should still be the case.

As a backup, you can refer to the list of most frequently asked questions that we’ve received from our readers below. Best of luck out there!

⚖️ Are online gambling and sports betting legal in Florida?

No. At the time of writing, online and in-person sports betting in Florida are suspended, and controversies around mobile betting are unlikely to be resolved until perhaps 2023. This case is still being appealed by the Seminole Tribe; we will keep you informed as soon as we hear back. This this topic was previously covered by us in greater detail in an earlier section if you’d like further insight.

🛡️ What is the legal gambling age in Florida?

Much like many other American states, this depends on the activity that is being betted on. In Florida, the minimum gambling age is 21 for casino games. However, if you want to play poker or bingo or wager on horse races, you must be at least 18 years old. To learn more about Florida’s intricate gambling laws, click here.

🚨 Are offshore betting sites legal for US players?

No. MyBookie and Bovda are currently unregistered and unregulated at the time of this writing. There are no assurances of fairness or player safety with unregulated betting services should you choose to bet with them. Therefore, we recommend that you should stay away from them. Please check out our earlier section on the subject if you are looking for regulated and trustworthy alternatives.

🔎 Are there any other forms of online gambling I could enjoy in FL?

While sports betting is nopt legal in Florida, there are land-based casinos and racetrack options as well as a small number of poker rooms for Florida bettors to enjoy. You can also travel to a legal sports betting state, check out our section on other states with legal sportsbooks for more information.