Betting on your favorite sports isn’t yet legal in FL, but there’s definitely talk of changing that. Here’s all the information you need about legal Florida sports betting, and what might change in the future.
FL Online Sports Betting
As of 2018, Florida has legalized casino gambling at authorized retail locations and tribal casinos. There’s no online casino gaming yet, and precedent states that sportsbooks generally pair with physical casinos to release their betting apps.
In some cases, however, states have gone directly to online sports betting without needing to have physical sportsbooks. The laws are not yet in place for legal Florida sports betting in any capacity, in-person or online.
You can, however, engage in horse betting online in FL. Although there are now regulations permitting FL online casinos just yet.
FL Online Sports Betting Rules
This is not to say that Florida Sports betting will never happen. Governor Ron DeSantis met with state legislators in spring 2019 to talk about the possibility of sports betting. Later, he met with head representatives from the Seminole Tribe, including the chairman of gaming and general counsel.
These meetings had the main focus of discussing legalized gambling in the state, including allowing tribal casinos to be the first to offer sports betting. However, these compacts between tribes and state government are notoriously hard to navigate, and the existing gambling compact between the two doesn’t expire until 2030.
If and when online sports betting comes to the Sunshine State, it’s more than likely that users will have to register for sports betting apps in-person at a tribal casino. Governor DeSantis may meet with Marcus Osceola, chairman of the Seminole Tribe, to discuss a new compact regarding sports betting– there’s already precedent for that conversation to happen.
Only time will tell if Florida sports betting will become a reality in the near future. Hopefully, the success of Amendment 3’s casino gambling law will add fuel to the fire and convince lawmakers that sports betting is a good idea.
FL Sportsbook Apps
Since the overturning of PASPA (the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) in 2018, sports betting is federally legal. That being said, each state has to pass its own laws regarding sports betting in order for it to be legal.
Florida is no different, with no law on the books for legal sports betting in person or online. As previously stated, talks between tribal and state legislators indicate a positive future for Florida sports betting, but nothing is set in stone. Check back for more information on FL online sports betting as talks develop into legislative hearings and, hopefully, a legal sports betting agreement.
