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Florida officials say a new law gives local governments a stronger way to go after illegal gambling sites that have continued to spread across the state.
Senate Bill 168, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in June and effective since July 1, allows a commercial property hosting illegal gambling to be treated as a public nuisance. That means counties and cities can move to shut down businesses operating there and pursue penalties against noncompliant property owners.
According to Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and the Florida Gaming Control Commission, illegal slot-machine operations are often disguised as arcades or amusement centers in strip malls. Officials say existing misdemeanor penalties have not done enough to stop them.
Under the amended law, a county can order an illegal gambling business to close immediately as a public nuisance. If the business does not comply, fines can start at $250 per day and rise to $500 per day after one year. If those fines remain unpaid for three months, the county can place a lien on the property and begin foreclosure proceedings.
The law also expands landlords’ responsibility for illegal activity taking place on commercial real estate they lease. It does not apply to landlords renting non-commercial housing.
State officials have pointed to a sizable 2026 enforcement effort. Uthmeier said raids this year have removed more than 3,100 unregulated gambling machines from the public, seized more than $1.7 million in cash proceeds, and led to 81 arrests.
For Florida players, the change does not alter the state’s legal gambling map, but it could increase pressure on unregulated venues. Outside Miami-Dade and Broward counties, slot machines are barred anywhere other than the Seminole Tribe’s six Hard Rock and Seminole casinos. The tribe also holds exclusive rights to online sports betting in Florida through Hard Rock Bet.
What to watch next is whether counties and cities begin using SB 168 aggressively against specific properties. The new law gives local governments a tool that goes beyond criminal charges against operators and directly targets the commercial locations where illegal gambling is taking place.
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Source: As reported by casino.org.
