Florida bettors can now legally place wagers on the Olympics. The Summer Games in Paris are the first Olympics to occur since sports betting relaunched in the Sunshine State.
The Games also come just weeks after the US Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a lawsuit challenging the state’s sports betting model.
Florida joins a handful of states whose residents can place wagers on the Olympics for the first time. That should make the 2024 Games the most bet-on Olympics in US history.
Floridians lose out on promotional discounts
While Floridians have a fairly wide range of betting options for the Summer Games, they are limited to just one sportsbook. The gaming compact between the state and the Seminole Tribe of Florida allows the tribe to control all Florida sports betting. The courts have backed that up.
The biggest downside to Hard Rock Bet’s monopoly is bettors in Florida aren’t able to compare odds at a variety of sportsbooks to find the best bets.
Florida-based gaming attorney Daniel Wallach recently told South Florida public radio station WLRN that the set-up creates a climate in which pricing is less favorable for bettors.
“In a multi-competitor market, the consumer is given a lot of incentives and initial promotional discounts in order to participate. That is largely absent from the Florida landscape.”
Judged events are off-limits in Florida
Some states prohibit certain types of bets on the Olympics. In Massachusetts, for example, sportsbooks can’t offer odds on events in which the outcome is determined by judges. That takes gymnastics off the menu, along with a few other popular sports.
It’s the same in Florida. Hard Rock Bet does not offer odds on judged events, including:
- Artistic gymnastics
- Artistic swimming
- BMX freestyle
- Break dancing
- Diving
- Equestrian
- Rhythmic gymnastics
- Skateboarding
- Surfing
- Trampoline
Floridians can bet on several other events
The list of Olympic sports you can bet on in Florida is much longer. Hard Rock Bet offers betting options for most of the other top contests at the Olympics in which there are clear-cut winners:
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Boxing
- Cycling
- Field Hockey
- Golf
- Handball
- Lacrosse
- Rugby
- Soccer
- Swimming
- Table Tennis
- Tennis
- Track & Field
- Volleyball
Looking ahead to the 2026 Winter Olympics
If Hard Rock Bet continues to not allow betting on judged events, Floridians will also have fewer options when the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy roll around. There are less sports overall in the Winter Games, including less events in which the winner is determined by judges.
Judged Winter Olympic sports include:
- Figure skating
- Freestyle skiing
- Ski jumping
- Snowboarding
The majority of other Winter Olympics sports should be available to Florida bettors in 2026, including:
- Alpine skiing
- Bobsledding
- Cross-country skiing
- Curling
- Hockey
- Luge
- Skeleton
- Ski mountaineering
- Speed skating
