Presently online and offline sports betting is not legal in the state of Florida, but hopefully that won’t be the case for long. Florida is in a exceptional 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 states jumped headfirst to this multi-billion dollar business and immediately legalized sports gambling.
Florida, unfortunately, was not one of them.
There are numerous reasons this is the case but the largest one has to do with the state’s longtime compact with the Seminole Tribe, which we’ll tell you more about beneath. The uncertainty around the long-term future of this agreement has been the biggest factor in the Sunshine State’s wait-and-see strategy to legalization.
Nonetheless, there are solutions for taxpayers of Florida while they wait for the state’s legislators to behave. Daily fantasy sports websites for example DraftKings and FanDuel accept players from Florida.
Horse racing websites like TwinSpires also function in the state.
The absence of urgency and motion on this issue is certainly frustrating for gamers, but it might not stay this way forever.
The sports betting landscape is shifting across the nation and while it’s taking some nation’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 the complete guide to what you need to know about the past, present, and future of internet sports betting in Florida. We’ll explain the US Supreme Court decision on PASPA in more detail and describe how it figures to how sports gambling law will take shape in Florida in years ahead.
We will also keep this page update with important advancements that can help or harm Florida’s odds of introducing legal sports gambling in the near future.
For more information on other nations, read our country by state guides to US sports betting laws.
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The Recent Online Sports Betting Situation in Florida
When the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018 it opened the door for each state to create their own decisions with respect to legalizing sports betting in their jurisdiction. Each state can decide whether to perform it all and if so, how the regulations will work.
Since every state has its own history and political/economic climate, we’re likely to see change happen at a different rate depending on which portion of the nation you’re talking about.
In some cases the change to legal sports gambling was in the works and occurred immediately. In other areas the switch seems inevitable and is only waiting for legislation or other red tape to be taken care of. In different areas, legalization of sport gambling might not occur in any way.
Florida falls somewhere in the midst of those classes. The country is receptive to betting in general but there’s legal work that needs to be performed before full-scale sports betting will be made accessible.
The present state of legal online sports betting in Florida is somewhat complex, to say the least.
Though Florida has the authority to legalize sports gambling, there are a few things standing in the way. The largest barrier 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 variants, etc). However, the agreement has gotten somewhat tenuous and the new possibility of sports gambling has made the discussions even more complex.
As it stands now, nothing is currently occurring about the legalization front and the first opportunity for anything to alter is March 2019, if the Florida Legislature meets next.
Florida certainly does not fall into the”Never going to happen” class in regards to legal sports betting but it’s not going to be leading the charge towards regulation. Like many nations, though, Florida is going to have a hard time ignoring the potential earnings when they see other neighboring states start to reap the benefits.
The Annals of Online Sports Betting in Florida
Florida is among the states where sports betting laws haven’t changed much over the last 50 decades or so.
Over time America has been through a number 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 authorities made inter-state sports betting illegal with the Federal Wire act.
The issue with this course of actions, not unlike what occurred with the prohibition of alcohol, is it only drove the business and flow of cash farther underground.
Three decades later, in 1992, the skilled and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was released in a bid to defend the integrity of American sports by making betting on matches illegal anywhere outside of Nevada. Americans may not have been able to bet on sports domestically but it was not long after that the internet made it possible for offshore sportsbooks to provide their solutions to US players online.
Ever since then, the US has missed out on a huge revenue opportunity in the form of regulated sports gambling. There’s clearly a huge market for it as Americans spend billions annually wagering online in Las Vegas and through unregulated off-shore casinos and sportsbooks.
As of the writing, sports betting hasn’t been legal in Florida, intriguing because the state has a relatively large gambling culture.
Racetracks and casinos have become common place across the country, yet neither provides legalized sports betting. The closest thing people in Florida can bet on is dog and horse-racing along with the sport of jai alai that has been legal and popular to bet on in the country since the 1960s.
The only option sports gamblers need 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 are no”legal” online sports gambling sites in Florida. However, several offshore options exist for online sports gamblers, but nothing which would constitute as valid.
While not technically illegal, offshore sportsbooks are risky to use because they’re located in far-off countries and not subject to authentic oversight or regulations. If something goes wrong with the organization or your account, it’s extremely difficult to resolve the situation.
Our advice would be to await legal and fully regulated choices to arrive in the United States.
In the coming months, and after March of 2019 specifically, we highly suggest returning to this a webpage for an upgrade as we intend to continue to keep readers updated with matters regarding the legalization of sport gambling across America.
What Sports Could You Bet on Online in Florida?
As of now, there are no sports you can wager on legally online or away. However, if sports betting does become legalized in the state of Florida, then it’ll bring with it a whole record of specialist and amateuer sports to wager on.
Florida has a huge sports culture and tons of pro teams for residents to cause. Here are some of the nation’s teams that will attract a lot of betting action.
Football 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 local NFL options to bet on if it will become legal.
The state also has a slew of NCAA teams with the largest being the Florida Gators and the Florida State Seminoles. Additionally drawing comparatively massive audiences for faculty ball are the Miami Hurricanes, the South Florida Bulls along with the UCF Knights.
Basketball
Basketball is enormous 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 legal in Florida you can expect a good deal of action to center around both of these franchises.
When it comes to NCAA basketball Florida’s largest teams would be the Florida Gators and the Florida State Seminoles.
Baseball
Two Major League Baseball teams call Florida home: The Miami Marlins and the Tampa Bay Rays, both of which were set up in the 1990s. Florida is also home to MLB Spring Training each year that might also be possible to bet on in the future.
Hockey
When you hear ice hockey you might not think of Florida however, the sport is relatively popular with just two NHL franchises based in the state. The Tampa Bay Lighting along with also the Florida Panthers which 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 takes effect, people in Florida will be able to to wager on all manner of pro sports, not just teams located in the nation. Gator and Seminole fans will also be eager to know that school sports should be available to bet on also, giving residents a chance 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 land established sportsbooks within a physical casino. Land-based betting is generally accompanied by online sportsbooks offering the same betting choices as live places.
Is There No-Deposit Sports Betting at Florida?
Given that online sports gambling remains prohibited, the issue of no deposit betting is now moot. Nonetheless, in the event that online sports betting becomes legal, citizens of Florida can expect a similar strategy to what other states are currently offering.
In countries like New York and Mississippi, bettors are often required to make a deposit upon enrollment so as to make real money bets. That said, no-deposit promotions are somewhat popular and when you find one, take it. Bear in mind, however, that any type of advertising regarding no-deposit wagering generally includes a few strings attached.
Depositing rules differ from each online sportsbook you choose to utilize, so make certain to pay careful attention to playthrough requirements, withdrawal limitations and some other fine print that includes the deal.
What’s the Future of Online Sports Betting at Florida?
The most instant key date will probably come in March, as that’s the next time that the Florida Legislature will meet. Until then, there is quite a lot of work that needs to be carried out in order to find out the consequences of legalized sports gambling on the existing compact between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe.
However, with more and more countries opting for legalization, it is probably a matter of when not if sports betting betting will become legal in Florida. Though the Sunshine State may be proceeding at a slower rate compared to its neighbours, we predict it is simply a matter of time until legislation is passed on to push legalization forward.
There’s also belief that a important part of Florida’s wait-and-see approach includes analyzing how other nations have employed legalized sports gambling and utilizing that information to ascertain the best path ahead.
What This Means For Sports Gamblers at Florida
Have patience.
In other words, there is far too much money up for grabs for Florida to ignore legalized sports gambling forever, particularly as an increasing number of countries move in that way. When there are unique complications confronting Florida, nothing inspires politicians more than prospective earnings.
Add to that the fact that folks in Florida love sports and already love to gamble and you’ve got the recipe for a booming sports gambling market.
Until then, patience is expected from sports gamblers all over the state. If you’re looking for updates about the situation, check back frequently 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 talks on how Florida intends to move on this issue are on the agenda.
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