Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Florida?

Presently offline and online sports betting isn’t legal in the state of Florida, but won’t be the case for long. Florida is in a unique position when it comes to legalizing online sports betting. 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 to this multi-billion dollar industry and instantly legalized sports gambling.
Florida, unfortunately, was not among them.
There are numerous reasons this is true but the biggest one has to do with the state’s longtime streamlined with the Seminole Tribe, which we will tell you more about below. The uncertainty about the long-term future of this agreement has been the biggest factor in the Sunshine State’s wait-and-see strategy to legalization.
Nevertheless, there are solutions for taxpayers of Florida while they await the state’s legislators to act. Daily fantasy sports sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel accept players from Florida.
Horse racing websites like TwinSpires also function from the state.
The lack of urgency and motion on this matter is surely frustrating for gamblers, however it might not remain this way indefinitely.
The sports gambling landscape is shifting across the country and while it’s taking some state’s a long time (some longer than others), it is widely believed that it’s only a matter of time before Florida gets in on the action.
This page is your complete guide to everything you need to know about the past, current, and future of online sports betting in Florida. We are going to clarify the US Supreme Court decision on PASPA in more detail and describe how it figures into how sports betting law will take shape in Florida in the years to come.
We’ll also keep this page update with significant developments that may help or harm Florida’s chances of introducing legal sports betting in the near future.
For more information on other nations, read our country by state guides to US sports gambling laws.
Finest Legal Betting Options at Florida
DraftKings DFS
DraftKings
Florida ???
$10 Welcome Bonus*
With your initial deposit of $5 or more
Daily Fantasy Sports
FanDuel DFS
FanDuel
Florida ???
$5 Welcome Bonus
With your initial 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
*Qualification restrictions apply. See site for details. Bonus is at DK Dollars.
The Recent 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 regards to legalizing sports gambling in their jurisdiction. Each state can decide whether to perform it at all and if so, how the regulations will work.
Since every state has its own history and political/economic climate, we’re very likely to see change happen at a different rate depending on which portion of the country you’re talking about.
In some cases the change to legal sports gambling was already in the works and also occurred immediately. In other areas the switch looks inevitable and is waiting for laws or other red tape to be taken care of. In other places, legalization of sports gambling might not occur in any way.
Florida falls somewhere in the middle of those classes. The state is receptive to gambling in general but there’s legal work that needs to be performed before full-scale sports betting will be made accessible.
The current state of legal online sports gambling in Florida is somewhat complex, to say the least.
Even though Florida now has the authority to legalize sports betting, there are a few things standing in the way. The biggest obstacle is the pact that the state has the Seminole Tribe.
Basically, the agreement gives the Seminole Tribe a monopoly on all casino games (blackjack, pai gow, casino gambling variations, etc). However, the agreement has gotten somewhat tenuous and the new probability of sports gambling has made the negotiations more complex.
As it stands right now, nothing is currently occurring about the legalization front and also the very first chance for anything to alter is March 2019, when the Florida Legislature meets next.
Florida certainly doesn’t fall to the”Never going to happen” category when it comes to legal sports betting but it’s not going to be leading the charge towards law. Like many nations, though, Florida will have difficulty dismissing the potential earnings when they see other neighboring states start to reap the rewards.
The Annals of Online Sports Betting in Florida
Florida is among the countries where sports gambling laws have not changed much over the past 50 decades or so.
Over time America has been through a range of reforms when it comes to the laws regulating sports gambling. 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 course of actions, not unlike what occurred with the prohibition of alcohol, is that it only drove the company and flow of money farther underground.
Three decades later, in 1992, the skilled and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was introduced in an effort to defend the integrity of American sports by making gambling on games illegal anywhere outside of Nevada. Americans might not have been in a position to gamble on sports but it was not long then the internet made it possible for offshore sportsbooks to provide their solutions to US players online.
Ever since that time, the US has missed out on a massive revenue opportunity in the form of controlled sports betting. There’s clearly a huge market for it as Americans spend billions each year wagering online in Las Vegas and via unregulated off-shore casinos and sportsbooks.
As of this writing, sports betting hasn’t been legal in Florida, intriguing because the country has a comparatively large gambling civilization.
Racetracks and casinos have become common place throughout the country, yet neither provides legalized sports betting. The nearest thing people in Florida can gamble on is puppy and horse-racing and the sport of jai alai that 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 use one of several offshore choices, which are currently illegal.
Which Online Sports Betting Sites Are Legal in Florida?
As you can imagine, there are no”legal” online sports betting sites in Florida. But, several offshore options exist for internet sports bettors, but nothing that could constitute as valid.
While not technically illegal, offshore sportsbooks are insecure to use because they’re based in far-off nations and not subject to real oversight or regulations. If something goes wrong with the organization or your accounts, it is extremely difficult to resolve the circumstance.
Our advice would be to await legal and fully regulated options to arrive from the United States.
In the coming months, and after March of 2019 specifically, we highly recommend returning to this a webpage for an upgrade as we plan to keep readers updated with matters concerning the legalization of sports betting across America.
What Sports Could You Bet on Online at Florida?
As of now, there are not any sports you can wager on lawfully online or off. But if sports betting does become legalized in the state of Florida, it’ll bring with it a whole record of professional and amateuer sports to bet on.
Florida has a huge sports culture and lots of expert teams for taxpayers to cause. Here are some of the nation’s teams which will attract 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 which means Floridians will have plenty of neighborhood NFL choices to bet on if it becomes lawful.
The state also has a ton of NCAA teams with the largest being the Florida Gators and the Florida State Seminoles. Additionally drawing comparatively massive crowds for faculty ball would be the Miami Hurricanes, the South Florida Bulls and 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 betting becomes lawful in Florida that you can expect a good deal 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 along with the Tampa Bay Rays, both of which have been set up in the 1990s. Florida is also home to MLB Spring Training each year that might also be potential to bet on later on.
Hockey
When you hear ice hockey you might not think about Florida but the sport is relatively popular with just two NHL franchises located in the country. The Tampa Bay Lighting along with also 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, individuals in Florida will be able to wager on all manner of pro sports, not only teams based in the state. Gator and Seminole lovers are also excited to know that college sports should be available to bet on also, giving residents a chance to bet on dozens of college sports matches every weekend.
When the time does come we see legalized sports betting in the state of Florida, it would probably start with land established sportsbooks within a brick and mortar casino. Land-based gambling is usually followed by online sportsbooks that offer the exact same betting options as live places.
Can There Be No-Deposit Sports Betting in Florida?
Given that online sports betting is still prohibited, the issue of no deposit gambling is now moot. However, in the event that online sports betting becomes legal, residents of Florida can anticipate a similar strategy to what other nations are currently offering.
In countries like New York and Mississippi, bettors are usually required to make a deposit upon enrollment so as to create real money stakes. Nevertheless, no-deposit promotions are very popular and when you find one, consider it. Always remember, however, that any type of advertising regarding no-deposit wagering generally comes with a few strings attached.
Depositing rules vary from every online sportsbook you choose to utilize, so make sure to pay careful attention to playthrough requirements, withdrawal limitations and any other fine print that comes with the offer.
What Is the Future of Online Sports Betting in Florida?
The most instant key date will come sometime in March, since that’s the next time the Florida Legislature will meet. Until then, there’s quite a lot of work that should be carried out as a way to figure out the consequences of legalized sports betting on the present compact between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe.
But with an increasing number of countries opting for legalization, it’s probably a matter of when not if sports gambling will become legal in Florida. While the Sunshine State may be proceeding at a slower pace compared to its neighbors, we forecast it’s only a matter of time before legislation is passed on to push legalization forward.
There’s also belief that a important portion of Florida’s wait-and-see approach involves analyzing how other states have implemented legalized sports betting and using that information to determine the best route forward for themselves.
What This Means For Sports Gamblers in Florida
Have patience.
In other words, there is far too much cash up for grabs for Florida to dismiss legalized sports gambling forever, particularly as more and more countries move in that way. While there are specific complications confronting Florida, nothing motivates politicians more than potential earnings.
Add to that the fact that people in Florida enjoy sports and already love to gamble and you have the recipe for a thriving sports gambling market.
Until then, patience is expected from sports gamblers throughout the state. If you’re looking for updates about the situation, check back regularly as we’ll update this article as new info comes in.
We advocate circling March, 2019, in your calendars since it marks a meeting of the state legislature where discussions about how Florida intends to proceed on this matter are on the schedule.

Read more: fighthits.net