Florida Online Casinos – Gambling in Florida
If you’re interested in online gambling in Florida and want to read the latest news regarding licensed online casinos, you’re on the right page. Unfortunately, online gambling is not legal in Florida at the moment. Still, this preview will provide in-depth insight into how soon online casino action could become a reality for Florida residents. Moreover, we’ll review various legal gambling options that are available at the moment in Florida.
What kinds of online gambling are legal in Florida in 2021?
At the moment, no online gambling options are regulated and legalized in Florida. Even though the state has plenty of land-based options, the residents of Florida will still have to wait until further notice.
The good news is that the laws in the Sunshine State are ever-changing, even those related to gambling. There have been several attempts to legalize some forms of online gambling, but none of them were successful. It seems that online sports betting could become the first form of online gambling to become legal in Florida.
After the Professional and Amateur Sports Prediction Act (PASPA) of 1992 was lifted, many states decided to introduce sports betting and online sports betting. Florida is going to become a huge sports betting market, and that’s why many operators wanted to get the share, with the Seminoles, online sports betting sites (mainly DraftKings and FanDuel), and even some pari-mutuel properties. Seminoles won the sports betting battle and received a 30-year deal with full control of sports betting in Florida.
Despite being a winner, the Native American tribe still has to face several additional obstacles, including strong anti-gambling sentiment from some organizations. In short, the legalization of online sports betting is inevitable, and it’s just a matter of time when we’ll see the first online sportsbook available to Florida bettors.
Are any forms of land-based gambling legal in Florida in 2021?
Some forms of land-based gambling have been available in Florida for a long time, so let’s check them out.
Casino Gambling in Florida
There are more than 30 casinos in Florida at the moment, with most of them actually being racinos — racetracks that also offer casino games. However, the most popular ones are Native American casinos, and most are operated by the Seminole, including the legendary Hard Rock casinos.
Poker in Florida
Land-based poker is legal in Florida, and there are plenty of tournaments and cash games available around the state. Some of the biggest poker rooms in the Sunshine State are located in land-based casinos, with the most prominent ones located in Tampa Hard Rock and Hollywood Seminole Hard Rock.
Horse Racing in Florida
With so many racinos in the state, pari-mutuel wagering on horse races is very popular. In fact, it’s the only form of gambling that’s available over the web, but it’s still very limited. On the other hand, there are plenty of great in-person properties in Florida where you can enjoy horse races and place bets on them.
Bingo in Florida
>Bingo is legal and regulated in Florida, and there are plenty of bingo halls throughout the state where you can play the popular lottery-like game. However, true bingo games can only be operated by a non-profit, veteran, or other charitable organizations.
What Are the Largest Brick-and-Mortar Casinos in Florida?
Florida is home to some really great land-based casinos, so let’s check the three largest ones (which all happen to be Native American casinos operated by the Seminoles).
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa is the sixth-largest casino in the world, with a total of 190,000 square feet of gaming floor, more than 3100 slots, 100 table games, and 45 poker tables. This huge gaming complex opened its doors in 2004 and has attracted tens of thousands of visitors ever since. It’s located at 5223 Orient Rd, Tampa, Florida 33610, United States.
The property also features two notable dining options: Council Oak Steaks & Seafood and the legendary Hard Rock Cafe, which has become one of the most popular cafe brands in the world.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood
The second-largest casino in Florida is also inspired by Rock and Roll. It’s another project by the Seminole Tribe of Florida and takes up 100 acres on the Hollywood Reservation. The gaming space takes up 140,000 square feet, and it features a wide range of slots, table games, and more. There’s also a huge Hard Rock Event Center, in addition to various other shops, spas, restaurants, and more.
The casino resort, located at 1 Seminole Way, Davie, Florida 33314, United States, also includes the Hard Rock Cafe and the popular Council Oak Steaks & Seafood restaurant.
Seminole Casino Coconut Creek
Seminole Casino Coconut Creek offers a Vegas-style experience, with plenty of slots, table games, live poker, and more. There are more than 2,000 slot machines and 70 live table games. In addition to that, visitors can enjoy plenty of dining options, including the popular NNY Steak.
There are many bars & lounges, as wells as an outdoor entertainment venue that can take up to 3,000 visitors. The popular casino property is located at 5550 NW 40th St, Coconut Creek, Florida 33073, United States.
What Nearby States Have Legalized Online Gambling?
Unfortunately, no states near Florida have legal online gambling. To have a full online casino experience, you must travel to the north part of the country and visit one of the following four states: West Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is the biggest online gambling market at the moment, as it’s the most populous state of all states that legalized online casinos. Even though the number of online casinos is smaller compared to NJ, there’s still a decent choice of gambling sites, including casinos, sportsbooks, and poker sites. The market is still fairly new and will probably expand a lot in the future. PA’s capital, Philadelphia, is 1,191.3 miles away from Miami (17 hr 20 min by car).
New Jersey
New Jersey is the oldest online casino market. In other words, it was the first state to legalize online casino gambling in the US, which is why it has the most online casinos, where you can play popular slots, table games, live dealer games, and more. Other gambling verticals, such as online sports betting and poker, are available as well. New Jersey is 1,244.9 miles away from Miami (18 hr 24 min by car).
West Virginia
West Virginia is the smallest online casino market, with only four online casinos available at the moment. WV residents can also enjoy a wide array of other gambling options on the web, including online poker and online sports betting. To get to Charleston, WV from Miami, you’ll have to travel approximately 992.4 miles (14.5-hour drive).
Michigan
Michigan legalized online gambling the last out of the four states mentioned here. Right now, its market is relatively small but has a big potential. There are already plenty of online casinos, sports betting sites, and online poker sites. Unfortunately, Michigan is also the farthest from Florida, as the distance between Miami and Lansing is 1,438.5 miles (21 hr 29 min by car).
History of gambling legislation in Florida
Here’s a quick overview of important dates related to gambling legislation in the Sunshine State.
The first legislature for horse and dog racing was passed, being the first document to override the gambling veto posed by Gov. Carlton.
Slot machines and Jai-alai betting were introduced. Jai-alai is a popular sport similar to pelota, played in the Basque country, the Latin American world, and – for some odd reason – southern Florida. The sport became the mainstay of the pari-mutuel betting venues.
Slots were outlawed by a wave of anti-gambling political movements.
Small-stakes bingo became legal in Florida.
Poker became legal in the pari-mutuel facilities, as the jai-alai sport attracted fewer and fewer betting fans.
Poker tournaments (including no limit poker) were given the green light, and betting limits at the pari-mutuels were raised.
Future of Online Gambling in Florida
Florida is in a sort of legal turmoil when it comes to online gambling. Each side is vocal and active, including Native American tribes, anti-gambling organizations, and more. In the end, it’s safe to say that the legalization of some online gambling verticals is inevitable.
At the start, sports betting will be legalized. As we already mentioned, the Seminole tribe has already received a 30-year license for operating sports betting, so everything has been set in motion. Still, it’s Florida we’re talking about, so the additional bumps on the round are bound to happen.
Online poker could become legal after sports betting, but that’s still just speculating. One thing is certain — we won’t see any legal online casinos in Florida anytime soon. Yet, we advise checking the news regularly to learn about the latest developments.