Gambling Rules In Florida
Gaming
Gambling in the Sunshine State in 2020. Currently, Florida has laws and regulations in place that allow casinos and horse race gambling. There are casinos throughout the state on Indian reservations as well as horse tracks and parimutuels tracks that gamers can take part in. Table Tracing Session Laws to Florida Statutes (2020) PDF Table of Section Changes (2020) PDF Preface to the Florida Statutes (2020) PDF Index to Special and Local Laws (1971-2020) PDF General Laws Conversion Table (2020) PDF Florida Statutes Definitions Index (2020) PDF Index to Special and Local Laws (1845-1970) PDF Statute. Section 849.08 of the Florida Statutes says this about gambling: “Whoever plays or engages in any game at cards, keno, roulette, faro or other game of chance, at any place, by any device whatever, for money or other thing of value, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s.
Gaming is an established business sector in Florida; its roots stretch back to the 1890s. Recent rapid changes have transformed gaming industries, but laws and tax policies have not kept pace. During the 2012-2014 legislative term, the Gaming Committee was charged with conducting a comprehensive critical assessment and formulating an action plan.
Proposed Committee Bills
The Gaming Committee published three separate proposed committee bills. To download copies of the bills and the latest amendments and analyses, use the links below:
- SPB 7050: Gambling—A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the State Constitution that any additional gambling authorized by law will not take effect until a public ballot measure is approved by a majority of voters statewide
- SPB 7052: Gaming—A comprehensive act relating to gaming (see tracing charts(PDF) for linkages with current law provisions that were reorganized and rewritten)
- SPB 7054: Public Records/Gaming Control—Providing an exemption for proprietary confidential business information in specified applications
Information Resources
The Senate Gaming Committee assembled a variety of information resources, including:
- Spectrum's Gambling Impact Study (8 MB PDF, 708 pages), commissioned jointly by the Senate and House to set a factual foundation for important policy choices the Legislature will consider during the 2014 Regular Session.
- Online comments(2 MB PDF, 406 PAGES) and mail or email comments(11 MB PDF, 255 PAGES) submitted by members of the public in the autumn of 2013.
- Diverse testimony from public workshops across the state (handouts or comments delivered at a particular workshop are included among documents for the meeting). Meetings are listed below, together with links to documents and videos.
Date | Workshop/Meeting | Documents | Video | Speakers | Handouts | Comments | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 7, 2013 | Spectrum Gaming Group Panel | Meeting Packet(11 MB PDF, 788 pages) | 2:56 | 6 | 0 | 0 | ||||
October 23, 2013 | Coconut Creek Workshop | Meeting Packet(3 MB PDF, 68 pages) | 3:10 | 77 | 6 | 17 | ||||
October 30, 2013 | Lakeland Workshop | Meeting Packet(5 MB PDF, 98 pages) | 2:43 | 59 | 4 | 7 | ||||
November 4, 2013 | Tallahassee Committee Meeting | Meeting Packet(2 MB PDF, 44 pages) | Date | Time | Meeting Notice | Meeting Packet | Attendance | Expanded Agenda | Audio | Video |
4/8/2014 | 1:00 PM | Meeting Notice | Meeting Packet (final) | Attendance | Expanded Agenda | Audio | Video | |||
3/31/2014 | 1:30 PM | Not meeting | ||||||||
3/24/2014 | 12:30 PM | Not meeting | ||||||||
3/10/2014 | 2:30 PM | Meeting Notice | Meeting Packet (final) | Attendance | Expanded Agenda | Audio | Video | |||
3/3/2014 | 1:30 PM | Meeting Notice | Meeting Packet (final) | Attendance | Expanded Agenda | Audio | Video | |||
2/17/2014 | 1:00 PM | Not meeting | ||||||||
2/10/2014 | 1:00 PM | Meeting Notice | Meeting Packet (final) | Attendance | Expanded Agenda | Audio | Video | |||
2/3/2014 | 1:00 PM | Meeting Notice | Meeting Packet (final) | Attendance | Expanded Agenda | Audio | Video | |||
1/13/2014 | 1:00 PM | Not meeting | ||||||||
12/9/2013 | 1:00 PM | Meeting Notice | Meeting Packet (final) | Attendance | Expanded Agenda | Audio | Video | |||
11/15/2013 | 2:00 PM | Meeting Notice | Meeting Packet (final) | Attendance | Expanded Agenda | Audio Part 1 Audio Part 2 | Video | |||
11/14/2013 | 1:30 PM | Meeting Notice | Meeting Packet (final) | Attendance | Expanded Agenda | Audio Part 1 Audio Part 2 | Video | |||
11/4/2013 | 12:00 PM | Meeting Notice | Meeting Packet (final) | Attendance | Expanded Agenda | Audio Part 1 Audio Part 2 | Video | |||
10/30/2013 | 3:00 PM | Meeting Notice | Meeting Packet (final) | Attendance | Expanded Agenda | Audio Part 1 Audio Part 2 | Video | |||
10/23/2013 | 4:00 PM | Meeting Notice | Meeting Packet (final) | Attendance | Expanded Agenda | Audio Part 1 Audio Part 2 Audio Part 3 | Video | |||
10/7/2013 | 12:00 PM | Meeting Notice | Meeting Packet (final) | Attendance | Expanded Agenda | Audio Part 1 Audio Part 2 | Video | |||
9/23/2013 | 2:00 PM | Meeting Notice | Meeting Packet (final) | Attendance | Expanded Agenda | Audio | Video |
The Sunshine state is a casino haven for many gamblers. Their tribal casinos are dotted across the southern part of the state. They also have pari-mutuel casinos, casino cruises, and agreat state lottery.
As of now, Florida does not allow online casinos or sportsbooks. They were slated to have serious discussions about legalization in 2020. But that now seems postponed to 2021.
Still, Florida has some exciting opportunities for land-based casino lovers.
Online Casinos in Florida
Although Florida has a long tradition with some great landbased casinos, it has not legalized online casinos. There have been discussions about legalizing online casinos in the statecapital, but there seems to be little actual motion toward legalization at this point.
Florida does have a state lottery, which can indicate an openness to other forms of betting.
The nearest state where online casinos are legal West Virginia. The online casinos are now operational there!
But, you can still register with a legal online casino while you're in Florida. That means you can get the casino's bonus offers or deposit, and then play whenever you're in stateswhere it's legal. (Do be aware of the casino bonus's expiry date, though.)
Land-Based Casinos in Florida
Florida has a number of different types of land-based casinos.
There are:
- 6 Native American tribal casinos
- casino boats
- 8 pari-mutuel casinos
- state lottery
Types of Casinos in Florida
There are three types of Florida casinos:
- Native American tribal casinos
- casino boats
- gaming machines at pari-mutuels in two south Florida counties
At the moment there is no serious legislation moving toward widening the land-based betting options in Florida.
Tribal Casinos
There are currently six Florida tribal casinos. The Seminole Tribe has five and the sixth is on the Miccosukee Tribe’s reservation.
The Seminoles signed a compact with the state that allows them to offer traditional Class III gaming machines. As part of their compact, five Seminole casinos are also allowed to offer
- blackjack
- baccarat
- mini-baccarat
- three card poker
- let it ride
- pai gow poker
All of the Indian casinos are open 24 hours (except Big Cypress) and all offer bingo except for both Seminole Hard Rock Casinos and the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.
The minimum gambling age is 18 at all Indian casinos for bingo or poker and 21 for electronic gaming machines.
Pari-mutuel casinos
There are eight pari-mutuel casinos in Florida.
In early 2005 voters in Broward County (home county of Fort Lauderdale) passed a referendum to allow slot machines at four pari-mutuel facilities within that county and all are now inoperation.
In January 2008 voters in Miami-Dade County also passed a referendum permitting slot machines at four pari-mutuel facilities.
Click HERE to see a list of Florida casino slot machine payback statistics.
South Florida’s pari-mutuel facilities (as well as most pari-mutuels throughout the state), also offer poker.
Admission to all casinos is free and they are allowed to be open a maximum of 18 hours per day during the week and 24 hours on the weekends and some holidays.
If you want to order a drink while playing, be aware that Florida gaming regulations do not allow pari-mutuel casinos to provide free alcoholic beverages.
List of Pari-mutuel casinos
- Big Easy Casino
- Calder Casino
- Casino Miami
- [email protected] Beach
- Gulfstream Park
- Hialeah Park Racing & Casino
- Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park
- Magic City Casino
Casino Boats
The casino boats in Florida offer gamblers the opportunity to board ships that cruise offshore where casino gambling is legal. From the west coast, the boats travel nine miles out into the Gulfof Mexico. From the East coast, they travel three miles out into the Atlantic Ocean.
The minimum drinking age on all boats is 21. Due to security restrictions, you must present a photo ID at all casino boats or you will not be allowed to board.
List Of Land-based Casinos In Florida
Gambling Rules In Florida Panhandle
Miccosukee Resort and Gaming Center
- Address: 500 SW 177th Ave, Miami, FL 33194
- Hours: ·8am–2am
- Phone: 305-222-4600
- Website: www.mrg.miccosukee.com
Miccosukee Resort and Gaming Center has nearly 70,000 square feet of casino game space. This includes nearly 2,000 slots.
Gambling Rules In Florida Statutes
In addition to casino games, they also have high-stakes bingo.
Seminole Casino Brighton
- Address: 17735 Reservation Rd, Okeechobee, FL 34974, United States
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Phone: +1 800-360-9875
- Website: www.seminolebrightoncasino.com
Seminole Casino Brighton is a 27,000 sq. ft. casino. They have a moderate 400+ slot and gaming machines. They have a number of table games and high-stake bingo.
Seminole Casino Immokalee
- Address: 506 S 1st St, Immokalee, FL 34142
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Phone: 239-658-1313
- Website: www.seminoleimmokaleecasino.com
Seminole Casino Immokalee has 75,000 sq. ft. of casino action. They have over 30 table games, including: blackjack, baccarat, poker, and pai gow, and 3-card poker. This isin addition to a large selection of slots and video poker machines.
Seminole Classic Casino
- Address: 4150 FL-7, Hollywood, FL 33021
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Phone: +1 954-961-3220
- Website: www.seminoleclassiccasino.com
Seminole Classic Casino features a 73,500-sq. ft. casino floor with over 1,000 slot machines. They also have live-action table games and a very large high-stakes bingo room.
Seminole Hard Rock Coconut Creek
- Address: 5550 NW 40th St, Coconut Creek, FL 33073
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Phone: 954-977-6700
- Website: www.seminolecoconutcreekcasino.com
The recently renovated Seminole Hard Rock Coconut Creek hosts over 2000 Las Vegas-style slots. They also offer around 70 live table games, including blackjack, baccarat, 3-card poker, ultimateTexas hold ’em, pai gow poker, let it ride, Spanish 21, casino war.
Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood
- Address: 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood, FL 33314
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Phone: +1 866-502-7529
- Website: www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com
The Hard Rock Hollywood has a new 30,000 sq. ft. casino gaming area. It offers nearly 200 table games, 3,100 slot machines, and a new 45-table Poker Room.
Seminole Hard Rock Tampa
- Address: 5223 Orient Rd, Tampa, FL 33610, United States
- Hours: Open 24 hours
- Phone: +1 866-388-4263
- Website: www.seminolehardrocktampa.com
If you like size, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa is up your alley. It's huge 245,000 sq. ft. casino is the sixth-largest in the world. They have a great selection of slots, andtable games include everything from blackjack to baccarat, Pai Gow, Casino War, and Let It Ride. Their poker room features Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Seven-Card Stud amongother games.