The State of Florida does not permit sports betting. For residents living in Florida, it is advisable to use offshore sports betting sites if Florida punters want to bet. These sites need to be licensed outside of the State in order to allow punters to place their wagers legally. Florida gambling laws are strict. There are many anti-gambling statuses in the State. The State of Florida does not authorize anyone or have a license to be a sports betting operator within the State. It is permitted for punters to bet on horse races at the track in Florida. The State was the first to legalize horse and greyhound racing.
There are many tribal casinos in Florida. Any online sports betting site that claims to be licensed in Florida is not legitimate. Gamblers residing in Florida are permitted to bet on sports through betting sites licensed outside of Florida. Florida gamblers can open accounts and place bets on offshore sportsbooks that are legal and accept American sign-ups.
Online Sports Betting Florida
Online sports betting in Florida is only permitted if the gamblers use sites that are legal and operate outside of the State.
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Types of Online Florida Gambling Allowed
With a number of anti-gambling laws in place, there is still some type of gambling allowed in the State. For instance, there are a number of tribal casinos where gamblers in Florida can place bets. Most casinos in Florida are owned by tribes and offer gamblers games such as blackjack, slots, baccarat, video poker as well as other house-banked card games. Games such as roulette and craps are only permitted at cruise ships that do not open tables until in international waters.
The oldest form of gambling permitted in Florida is Horse and greyhound racing. Florida has also legalized the lottery
Is Sports Betting Legal in Florida?
Although other forms of gambling are legal in Florida, unfortunately, sports betting isn’t one of them. Both online and offline sports betting is prohibited in the State of Florida. One form of gambling that is allowed in Florida is Pari-Mutuel horse racing. To legalize sports betting in Florida, the State would have to be in agreement with the Native American casinos. Players need to be 21 years or older in order to gamble in Florida.
The PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) which was introduced in 1992, made gambling on sports games illegal. The main aim of the bill was to protect the integrity of sports. The act meant that gambling was illegal in all states in America except in Nevada. There was an attempt to legalize online poker in 2011, but that was subsequently withdrawn. The following year, in 2012, it was reintroduced, but this also failed. The State cut back on online gambling in 2013. Florida introduced a law that criminalized internet cafés that offered contests, which included online poker.
Florida Amendment 3 Sports Betting
The State of Florida introduced the Amendment 3 bill on sports betting. The bill passed with more than 70% of the vote which is higher than the 60% threshold needed for passage. The gambling grants Florida residents the exclusive right to decide whether to authorize the expansion of casino gambling in the State. Amendment 3 doesn’t, however, have any indication of including sports betting. The bill speaks to gambling but not specifically sports betting. Because sports betting is not the type of gaming that is typically found in a casino, the Amendment does not necessarily speak to it. The terms sports wagering or sports betting do not appear on the Amendment’s official ballot paper. Amendment 3 defines casino gambling casino games such as California blackjack, blackjack, baccarat as well as pai gow. The Amendment only refers to casino games such as dice games, table games as well as table games.
Florida Online Sports Betting
Although Florida doesn’t permit online gambling in the State, there are alternatives available for residents of Florida. Another option for gamblers in Florida is daily fantasy sports. There are also sites such as DraftKings and FanDuel that accept players from Florida.
More US Casino & Sports Betting States
- California Sports Betting Sites
- Nevada Sports Betting Sites
- Delaware Sports Betting
- New Jersey Sports Betting
- New York Sports Betting
- Indiana Sports Betting Sites
- Mississippi Sports Betting USA