Florida Online Gambling News

While Florida is home to a preponderance of land-based casinos, there are no legal online casinos in Florida. There were indications in 2019 that state lawmakers might be considering a move to legalize, but nothing came of it.

Floridians will have to console themselves with a few options that remain open to them. Chief among those is Chumba Casino.

Chumba Casino uses a unique sweepstakes model to remain in compliance with the laws of almost every state. Players across the country are able to take part in the site’s activities for real money prizes, and (technically) do not have to pay a dime to do so.

Florida is a quiet powerhouse for live poker. There are nearly 30 locations scattered throughout the state, and hundreds of poker tournaments run each week in the Sunshine State.

However, as is the case with online casinos, the choices for online poker remain sparse. No online poker bills appear to be imminent in Florida, and it’s unlikely anything will change soon.

Poker players can take heart in the fact that sweepstakes site Chumba Casino also has a corresponding poker site. Global Poker allows players from across the country to play in the same room, which gives Floridian card sharks the ability to show their countrymen what a great poker state Florida is.

At present, the Florida Lottery does not offer any possibilities for online play. All lottery games are required to be purchased through a retail outlet.

With the Lottery possibly facilitating online sports betting, however, anything is possible. So, while there’s nothing particularly encouraging to report, things might be able to change in a year or two.

Florida is home to many casinos and cardrooms. The sports betting bills under consideration would give the state lottery wide discretion in licensing sportsbook operators, so it stands to reason that sports betting opportunities would pop up at these locations.

Of course, the most powerful gambling entity in the state is the Seminole Tribe, which owns and operates the only full-service casinos in Florida and is a formidable political force. The progress of any gambling expansion likely hinges upon the Seminole’s approval, so there are many details yet to be hashed out in the legislature before retail sportsbooks can begin to open.

Florida’s latest drive into sports betting comes as the result of three bills filed by State Sen. Jeff Brandes. The package of bills, which designates the state lottery as the operator for sports betting, includes provisions for online sports betting.

The bills also allow the lottery to designate licensees to offer sports betting. Without many specifics available yet, the possibility of big-name sportsbooks opening shop in Florida is on the table.

Daily fantasy sports (DFS) play in Florida remains in a state of uneasy approval. While there is no law specifically on the books about the practice, there have been statements from officials that at least some of the games might not be in compliance with state law.

As it stands, Floridians can take part in DFS action on several of the top sites, including DraftKings and FanDuel. For the moment, it appears unlikely that anything will change about that fact.