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 unique position when it comes to legalizing online sports betting. After the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in May of 2018 to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), many states jumped headfirst into this multi. A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal upheld a circuit judge’s decision that what are known as “pre-reveal” games violate laws preventing slot machines in most of Florida.

After the legalization of online sports betting, some states managed to legalize online gambling as well. Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey were the first ones and now they’re safe havens for many online casinos. There will be even more such casinos in the US in the years to come because online casinos in the states are as popular as the adventures of Florida man.

Unlike him, the state of Florida hasn’t legalized online gambling, yet. The Sunshine State is very tolerant when it comes to gambling and is home to many brick-and-mortar casinos. The profits from these establishments make up a large amount of the state’s tax and they’re put to good use since the millions from the casinos are put into education and construction. If the state knew that the tax money would double if they legalized online gambling then they would’ve done it immediately.

What’s Legal in Florida?

Is Online Betting Illegal In Florida

Since the state likes to adhere to the Wire Act from 1961, there isn’t a single online casino in Florida, at least not a legal one. Although they’re illegal, playing at these casinos is risky and not advisable since it’s considered a felony. Online sports betting is also illegal and any resident to try and do that will get some serious jail time. The types of gambling that are available in Florida include horse and greyhound racing, fantasy sports betting and alternative online games.

Horse and Greyhound Racing

Florida is home to one of the biggest horse and greyhound racing industries in the US. This makes betting on horses and greyhounds one of the most popular ways to gamble offline since the state has over 50 off-track betting facilities. The good news is that you can bet on these types of races online. Florida has given out licenses to a few sites that make it available for people to watch and wager on races live. Video streams are available anywhere and thanks to those websites people can now place bets no matter where they are.

Florida Fantasy Sports

Fantasy sports are the next big thing that serves as an alternative to sports betting and, fortunately, is legal in Florida. It takes skill to compete in fantasy sports. You have to act like a manager would and make sure you pick the right players and the right strategy for each game. There are a few sites that provide betting on fantasy sports in Florida.

Alternative Games

Although online casinos are illegal, the state of Florida offers its residents excellent skill games. These are similar to the games played at online casinos because people can either play them for fun or can place wagers to win cash prizes and jackpots.

The Final Word

Although the Sunshine State is home to many gambling establishments and offers great alternatives to online casino games it will need to reconsider its views on the legality of online casinos. Until then, the many popular casino’s websites will have to wait for more friendly legislation and the chance to entertain Florida’s punters.

Florida is one of the biggest states in America when it comes to gambling, with seven tribal casinos in operation. Six of these, run by the Seminole Tribe, are Class III venues with everything but craps and roulette. The Miccosukee Tribe runs a single Class II casino in the state, and there are no commercial casinos in Florida.

Further, none of these casinos offers Florida online gambling, as iGaming has not been authorized. But even though domestic online gambling is not available in the Sunshine State, there are legally sanctioned offshore online gambling opportunities that FL residents can enjoy without the risk of violating any state or US federal laws, and our FL online casino guide shows you where to find those opportunities quickly and easily.

Is Florida Online Gambling Legal Right Now?

Operating an online gambling site within the state of Florida is not legal at this time. However, there are no state or federal laws which prohibit players from participating in online gambling at legally licensed and regulated offshore casino sites.

Participating in FL online gambling via sites that are based outside of the US is perfectly legal, and you will not be in violation of any state or US federal laws for doing so.

Legal Florida Online Gambling Sites

Each of the following gambling sites is licensed and regulated outside of the US, which means they can legally accept Florida players aged 18 and up. They are also the most reputable operators in the entire industry, which means you will always get paid when you win, on time and in full.

Other Florida Gambling Pages

Florida does offer some land-based casinos, racetracks, and card rooms throughout the state. While there are a handful of brick-and-mortar casinos and gambling opportunities, they are limited and scattered throughout the state, making it impractical for most FL gamblers to use their services.

Fortunately, reputable online gambling sites that accept Florida players over the Internet take the expensive and time-consuming travel options of visiting out-of-town casinos completely out of the equation.

Legal Florida Online Casinos

To experience a real online casino, Florida residents can access any of the best Internet-based gambling sites listed here. As long as you’re just 18 or older, you can sign up in minutes and gamble for real money.

These Florida legal online casinos are great options for those who don’t have the time or money to travel to FL tribal casinos. And besides, those venues only accept members at 21 and up, while these 18+ casino sites allow new gamblers to start playing sooner – and winning sooner! – than any state-based option.

The online casino games in Florida-friendly casinos operating overseas are second to none, are all regularly audited for fair iGaming compliance, and give the you the same chances to win as you’d find in Seminole casinos throughout the state.

Best of all, these sites offer both craps and roulette, which you can’t find at retail venues in FL. They also offer a huge assortment of online slots, blackjack, baccarat, video poker, bingo, keno, and all the other amusements you expect.

Legal Florida Online Sports Betting

For the best in online sports betting, Florida players can find the most valuable odds on all their favorite local teams at legal offshore sportsbooks. Since there are so many professional and collegiate clubs in FL, these sites cater to Sunshine State bettors in a big way.

Best of all, even after Florida online sports betting laws pass (which might still be a long way off), these sites will always have better lines and odds for local favorites. Domestic FL sportsbooks, remember, will be geo-fenced per the Interstate Wire Act, so only FL players will be allowed to use them.

That means you’re always going to bet more and win less when wagering on teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Dolphins, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Miami Hurricanes, Florida Gators, and Florida State Seminoles.

For the best payouts, a legal online FL sportsbook operating outside of US borders will always be your best bet

Legal Florida Online Poker

Florida online poker sites are legal and safe to use as long as you play with online poker rooms operating outside of US jurisdiction. However, for the best online poker, Florida residents can’t pick any old site – It’s crucial that you use a trusted operator like one of the providers listed here.

Is Online Gambling Legal In Florida

These online FL poker rooms have been in business for years and offer the widest variety of poker games. Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha, and Omaha Hi-Lo are available around the clock, from cash poker tables and small Sit ‘N’ Go poker events to the biggest online poker tournaments featuring six-figure pots.

If you enjoy playing the world’s most famous card game and live in the Sunshine State, these online poker sites are bigger, better, and far more convenient than playing with non-house-banked Florida cardrooms at defunct dog tracks and similar sub-par venues.

Is Online Gambling Illegal In Florida

What Is Florida’s Position On Online Gambling?

Florida recently shut down a number of “Internet cafes” which were operating as unlicensed casinos. These are now strictly prohibited. The law that was passed to make Internet cafes illegal is a bit confusing and is being legally challenged due to its language being too broad. However, we don’t expect these to open back up any time soon, if ever.

That said, again, there are no state or federal laws which prohibit players from participating in online gambling sites that are legitimately licensed and regulated outside of the USA, which is what millions of FL players do.

Because Florida is not staunchly anti-gambling, state-based online gambling does have some hope of emerging here in some capacity, though that will take time. Right now, the thrust of proposed legislation regarding gambling in Florida has to do with adding craps and roulette to the Seminole casino options and legalizing sports betting. Online iGaming in FL is currently at the bottom of the list.

Where Can FL Players Find Legitimate Online Gambling Options?

This guide was designed to assist US players, including FL residents, in finding legal, legitimate, secure, and high-quality online gambling options. Along with casino and sportsbook wagering, our guide also covers Florida online poker and Florida online bingo.

Our team of online gambling professionals has put a long list of online gambling sites through an extensive review process to determine which ones should be featured in this guide.

We vetted each brand based on a variety of criteria, including licensing and certification, security, efficiency of registration, versatile funding methods, timely payouts, valuable bonuses, robust game types, fair gaming practices, and customer support responsiveness.

We’ve tested each brand’s casino banking suite options, game performance, software reliability, and the speed of their withdrawals. No virtual stone has been left unturned.

The results of our research are presented in this guide to assist FL players in avoiding rogue, dangerous, or low-quality services and gaining access to only high-quality, secure, and legal gambling sites.

Brick-And-Mortar Indian Casinos In Florida

There are seven retail Florida Indian casinos. Six of these are Class III casinos operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which owns the Hard Rock brand of casinos and restaurants worldwide. All of these casinos are 21-plus, and they offer no online gambling options, nor do they offer craps or roulette:

• Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood – Hollywood, FL
• Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tampa – Tampa, FL
• Seminole Casino Brighton – Okeechobee, FL
• Seminole Casino Coconut Creek – Coconut Creek, FL
• Seminole Casino Immokalee – Immokalee, FL
• Seminole Classic Casino – Hollywood, FL

One casino is owned by the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, though this venue offers only Class II entertainment (18+), and no online gaming is available:

• Miccosukee Resort and Gaming Center – Miami, FL

Florida also has two casino cruise lines that operate out of Cape Canaveral and Jacksonville. These Victory Casino Cruise ships do have full assortments of casino gambling (including craps and roulette), but they are only available once the ships are in international waters, and players must be 21 or older.

Casino cruises are ultimately an even less convenient and more expensive gambling option than land-based gambling in FL, and we don’t recommend them for most players.

Where Can I Learn More About Florida Online Gambling?

We offer additional Florida online gambling topics in our guide. If you want to learn more about the legality of FL online gambling, then you can visit our Florida online gambling laws page for more information. You’ll find information about the laws of the state, as well as a resource to access the actual laws and statutes yourself.