Florida Sports Betting

Florida sports betting could be back at some point during the 2023 NFL regular season.

Florida had legal sports gambling for a few weeks in 2021. A federal judge’s decision took Florida sports betting offline in November 2021, but a DC Court of Appeals vacated that decision in June 2023. This turn of events has allowed the Seminole Tribe to prepare once again to start taking bets, although legal machinations are far from over.

Before the return of sports betting in Florida, the team at PlayFL.com put together of sports betting terms, professional teams and the history of sports wagering in the state.

Legal sports betting in Florida

Is Florida sports betting legal?

No, legal sports betting is not currently available in Florida. The state signed a gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe in 2021 that would allow mobile and brick and mortar sports betting. Since then the gaming compact has been tied up in the courts, but the DC Court of Appeals made a ruling in June that could spur the return of the Florida sports betting market.

Does Florida allow online sports betting?

Florida law and the new tribal compact endeavored to allow the Seminole Tribe to provide online sports betting. However, as noted, the compact is still in legal limbo. For now, then, there is no legal online sports betting in Florida while litigation is potentially appealed.

Florida residents, however, can play on social sportsbook Fliff. A sweepstakes gaming site, Fliff is a free-to-play game that allows users to wager on sports events via coins and virtual Fliff Cash. Users can bet on live sports for free but still have the opportunity to win real money.

What Florida online sportsbooks might launch?

If reinstated, the new gaming tribal-state compact would allow the Seminoles to be the sole operators of online sports betting in the Sunshine State, guaranteeing the Seminole Tribe would serve as the funnel for every sports bet placed in Florida, whether online or live.

The compact would also allow the tribe to create partnerships with a limited number of pari-mutuel operators to operate sportsbooks under the Hard Rock banner. Under such agreements, the pari-mutuels would be allowed to keep 60% of the profits generated while sending the rest to the tribe. Meanwhile external sportsbook apps would also have to pay negotiated revenue shares to the Seminole Tribe.

In 2021, a federal ruling found the compact in violation of IGRA. That ruling was appealed, and in June 2023, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for the compact, vacating a District Court’s decision. There is uncertainty regarding if and when sportsbook apps will be able to launch in Florida depending on whether a plaintiff appeal extends the case. With that caveat in mind, here’s a rundown of some of the potential apps that could show up in Florida.

Hard Rock Bet

Chance of Florida Launch: Definitely ✅

Online sports betting was actually live in Florida for about a month near the end of 2021, with the Hard Rock Bet the lone app available to bettors. However the Seminole Tribe took the app offline in early December 2021 after a federal judge ruled Florida’s sports betting model was in violation of federal standards.

The tribe took its online sportsbook offline, but the Seminoles and the Hard Rock Bet brand will certainly be prominent if online sports betting is ever allowed to launch in the state. The question is whether the tribe will function as an essential monopoly in the online sports betting market or if there will be healthy competition in Florida.

DraftKings Sportsbook

Chance of Florida Launch: Probable 👍

DraftKings already operates in Florida as a daily fantasy sports provider, and its interest in launching a DraftKings Sportsbook Florida is clear to all. Along with FanDuel, DraftKings poured millions of dollars into the state in an effort to get a sports betting initiative on the ballot in November 2022. That effort failed, but DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said he was “very confident” that the issue will be on the 2024 ballot. If a similar initiative were to pass in 2024, it’s nearly guaranteed that DraftKings would be granted a license by state regulators.

FanDuel Sportsbook

Chance of Florida Launch: Probable 👍

FanDuel would almost definitely gain access to the Florida online sports betting market as long as a more free-market approach is taken in shaping the state’s industry. Like its archrival DraftKings, FanDuel has already gained entry to Florida as a DFS provider and has some familiarity with the legal structure and market. Furthermore, FanDuel Sportsbook Florida would instantly be a top-of-the-market threat in the Sunshine State.

BetMGM Sportsbook

Chance of Florida Launch: Possible 🤷

BetMGM Sportsbook Florida would be one of the top options. However, the company does not have a particular brick-and-mortar link with the state of Florida itself. Its closest property is two states away in Mississippi.

However, the BetMGM horse racing app is available in Florida.

Caesars Sportsbook

Chance of Florida Launch: Possible 🤷

Caesars Sportsbook Florida is a distinct possibility. Caesars is a large sports betting company that recently acquired a host of new betting shops to acquire venerable sportsbook William Hill, which means it certainly has the resources to come to Florida. Additionally, Caesars owns the Isle Casino Pompano Park and is rebranding it to Harrah’s Pompano Beach this fall. Not to mention that the gaming giant launched a horse betting app in the Sunshine State in May.

If the ballot initiative is passed and non-Seminole entities can operate online sportsbooks in Florida, Caesars sportsbooks check all the boxes to operate in the state.

ESPN Bet

Chance of Florida Launch: Possible 🤷

ESPN Bet is the new sportsbook brand for gambling powerhouse PENN Entertainment after it abandoned Barstool Sports in favor of the worldwide leader in sports. Disney owns ESPN — which is especially noteworthy in Florida. PENN expects ESPN Bet to launch in November.

Will Florida casinos take sports bets?

Should the new tribal-state compact be reinstated and the Seminole Tribe be allowed to offer sports betting, they will likely open retail sportsbooks at most or all of their six casinos:

• Seminole Casino Brighton
• Seminole Casino Coconut Creek
• Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee
• Seminole Classic Casino Hollywood
• Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood
• Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa

The compact had additionally allowed the tribe to create partnerships with pari-mutuel facilities in the state to allow them to open Hard Rock-branded sportsbooks as well. Before the compact was vacated in November 2021, five pari-mutuel facilities agreed to operate such sportsbooks:

• Hialeah Park Racing & Casino
• Ocala Gainesville Poker & Jai-Alai
• Palm Beach Kennel Club
• Tampa Bay Downs
• TGT Poker & Racebook 

As noted, the Seminole Tribe and the rest of Florida currently await the results of a court case if it will be allowed. If it is, we might see retail sportsbooks at all of the locations listed above (and perhaps others).

What Florida sports teams can you bet on?

Florida’s status as the third-most populous state in the country makes it unsurprising to find the state is home to many sports teams. Several professional franchises and universities reside in Florida, and the state’s warm weather makes it a popular destination for championship games and tournaments to boot.

Should sports betting launch in Florida, then, wagering on these teams and events is sure to accelerate. Fandom for teams in an area tends to drive betting on them, with bettors’ close proximity sometimes offering deeper and more meaningful insights about how those teams might perform. Here are all the different teams you can expect to bet once Florida sports betting gets off the ground.

NFL 🏈

The NFL season is the sports betting equivalent of the Christmas holidays for retail stores. No other time of year features more wagering, and no other event draws more action than the Super Bowl. Betting on the Super Bowl is one of the most fun ways to add more excitement to the game.

Florida is home to three NFL teams, including the 2021 Super Bowl Champion. They are:

• Jacksonville Jaguars: TIAA Bank Field, 1 TIAA Bank Field Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32202 (Find Jags betting odds)
• Miami Dolphins: Hard Rock Stadium, 347 Don Shula Dr, Miami Gardens, FL 33056 (Find Dolphins betting odds)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Raymond James Stadium, 4201 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33607 (Find Bucs betting odds)

Betting on the NFL is pretty straightforward. The relatively high levels of scoring create lots of betting opportunities, including betting NFL spreads, moneylines, and totals. The amount of statistics generated by teams and individual players also opens the door for a wide range of proposition bets and parlays as well as futures bets.

NBA 🏀

Next to the NFL, betting on NBA games is the most common form of wagering. The NBA season is roughly six months long and features 30 teams playing 82 games each, so there are always many options for betting. Florida is home to two NBA teams:

• Miami Heat: Kaseya Center, 601 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132
• Orlando Magic: Amway Center, 400 W Church St Suite 200, Orlando, FL 32801

Like NFL games, NBA games always have plenty of scoring to serve as fodder for sports betting. You can find every type of wagering imaginable for NBA games, with a wide range of online basketball betting opportunities for both team and individual performances.

See our Miami Heat odds page and Orlando Magic odds page for more.

MLB ⚾

Baseball retains its moniker as “America’s Pastime” to this day, and Major League Baseball represents the highest level of play for the sport, both in the US and the world. Florida is home to two MLB teams. In fact, half of all MLB teams come to Florida for spring training each year, a gathering dubbed the Grapefruit League. The Florida franchises include:

• Miami Marlins: LoanDepot Park, 501 Marlins Way, Miami, FL 33125
• Tampa Bay Rays: Tropicana Field, 1 Tropicana Dr., St. Petersburg, FL 33705

Baseball’s structure presents unique challenges for sportsbooks. The dearth of scoring and close margins of victory do not yield easy bookmaking, particularly regarding MLB point spreads. Instead, oddsmakers use a hybrid wager called the “run line,” which fixes the spread at 1.5 runs for every game but varies the payout ratios according to the estimated outcome. The run line is best described as a mixture of the traditional spread and moneyline wagers.

Check out our Marlins betting odds and Rays betting odds pages here.

NHL 🏒

To put it mildly, Florida is not a state known for its cold weather and icy conditions. It might come as a surprise, then, to learn not one but two National Hockey League franchises have home ice in the state. In fact, both teams had very successful 2021-2022 campaigns and the Tampa Bay Lightning are seeking their third consecutive Stanley Cup this year. Here are your Florida-based options for betting on the NHL in Florida:

• Florida Panthers: FLA Live Arena, 1 Panther Pkwy, Sunrise, FL 33323
• Tampa Bay Lightning: Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602

Like baseball games, hockey games are usually not high-scoring affairs. The frequency of games decided by one goal (or less, in case of shootouts) creates headaches for oddsmakers trying to set point spread estimates. Therefore, sportsbooks use the “puck line,” which is analogous in every way to baseball’s run line. A standard 1.5 goal line works for every game, and the variation happens with the payout ratios.

However, to mention these two hybrid wagers, the “favorite” in the game may not come with the “favorite” payout. A team might be favored to win according to the 1.5-goal/run spread, but the book might set that outcome as a positive payout, meaning that it’s the underdog. In other words, the team might win, but it is less likely to cover the spread.

Check out our Panthers betting odds and Lightning betting odds pages here.

NCAA 🎓

Collegiate athletic events, particularly football, are a popular vehicle for sports bets in many places. Florida is home to 13 schools that compete in the NCAA’s Division I. They are:

• Bethune-Cookman University
• University of Central Florida
• University of Florida
• Florida A&M University
• Florida Atlantic University
• Florida Gulf Coast University
• Florida International University
• Florida State University
• Jacksonville University
• University of Miami
• University of North Florida
• University of South Florida
• Stetson University

Note that should legal sports betting come to Florida, it is not certain as yet whether betting on college sports and/or schools from Florida will be allowed. Some states with legal sports betting prevent wagering on in-state schools. That’s something to be aware of before you get your hopes up about betting on the Hurricanes, Gators, Seminoles or whatever your favorite Florida school might be.

What is the status of the new Seminole compact in Florida?

The Seminole Tribe of Florida is one of two federally recognized Native American tribes in the State of Florida. The other is the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida. However, the Seminoles are the only tribe of the two with a gaming compact in place with the state. The Miccosukees have contented themselves with operating a Class II facility, with electronic bingo and no house-banked games. That means the only full-service casinos in Florida are the six Seminole properties scattered around the state. Because those six casinos have been so successful, the Seminoles have gained an immense amount of political power in Florida.

Back in 2010, the Seminole Tribe and state entered into a 20-year gaming compact under which terms the tribe has operated its casinos. However, that compact invited some antagonism between the parties. One reason was the fact that it contained a provision granting the tribe exclusivity over banked card games through five years. When that provision expired in 2015, the state did not renew it and the tribe responded by suspending payments to the state. Eventually a compromise was reached in 2018, although a year later the tribe would halt payments again until the state stopped non-tribal card rooms from offering games the Seminoles believed they had the exclusive right to offer.

It was amid this fraught climate that Gov. Ron DeSantis negotiated a new compact with the Seminole Tribe in 2021, one that among other changes authorized the tribe to begin offering both retail and online sports betting.

The new compact proposed what has been called a “hub-and-spoke” model to offer online sports betting across the state. The tribe would be the exclusive licensee for online sports betting in the state, thus making it the “hub.” However, the tribe would also be permitted to reach partnership deals with pari-mutuel facilities (i.e., card rooms) around Florida. Each facility would be allowed to offer its sportsbook brand and split the profits with the Seminoles. Thus, each facility would be a “spoke.” Regardless of the branding, all sports bets would process through the Seminoles’ gaming platform. The same model would apply to online sportsbooks as well, with bets being placed anywhere in the state being processed by servers located back on the Seminoles’ lands.

In May 2021, the Florida legislature signed off on the new compact. In August 2021, the US Department of Interior did not approve or disapprove it, which practically speaking meant the new compact was approved by default. On Aug. 11, 2021, the new compact was published in the Federal Register. However, as described above, a federal court ruling in November 2021 vacated the new compact, thereby reverting the Seminole Tribe and Florida back to the previous compact which did not allow sports betting.

On June 30, 2023, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for Florida’s gaming compact, vacating the November 2021 decision that the compact violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. On Aug. 14, 2023, the plaintiffs in the case asked the Circuit Court for a rehearing, and the full court needs to make a ruling.

How to sign up at a Florida online sportsbook

Even if online sports betting is not underway in Florida yet, we are confident about the steps you will have to take to play once the first sportsbook app launches. Although there are a few stylistic differences, every single online sportsbook follows the same procedure for registration. This process is generally the same whether you are on a computer web browser or a mobile app. Here’s what to do:

1. Download and install the app

Your first step will be to download and install one of Florida’s sportsbook apps on your device. Choose the sportsbook that appeals to you and make sure to note if there are any Florida sportsbook bonus codes available and write them down. Be accurate when you do this, though. Both spelling and capitalization are important for bonus codes.

Once you make your choice, you’ll see buttons for both major types of devices, Apple and Android. Press the button for the correct format for your device, and you’ll end up in a familiar place. The resulting download page should look no different from the ones you find for other apps at the Apple Store or Google Play Store.

2. Sign up for an account

Open the app and look for a prominently displayed button at the top of the homepage. It’s usually in the upper-right corner and says something like “register,” “sign up,” or “get started.” Occasionally, you might have to click the button to log in to see the option for new players. Regardless, press the link or button to go to the registration form. You’ll likely need to provide some or all of the following information:

• Name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Mailing address
• Date of birth
• Social Security Number (or the last four digits)

You’ll also need to pick a username, a password, and (potentially) set up a couple of security questions and answers. Finally, there should be an optional blank for your promo code. Make sure you enter it exactly as it appears on this site, or it won’t count. Then, hit the button at the bottom to submit the information to the app.

3. Fund your account

Depending on the app you’ve chosen, you’ll either end up in the app’s lobby or cashier. If you’re in the lobby, look for the cashier button in the same area as the registration button. Once you’re in the cashier, you’ll find several different options for funding your account. Typically, you will have many methods to deposit funds, including by using a credit card, a debit card, an electronic check, e-wallets such as PayPal, prepaid cards or even cash.

Choose the option that works best for you, and make your first deposit. Again, you might need to enter a promo code here, as some bonuses relate to deposits rather than just signing up.

4. Place your bets!

And you’re ready to go! Once you deposit, you should be taken back to the app’s lobby automatically. There, you should find a list of all the available sports in the left column, featured bets in the center, and a bet slip on the right or bottom. Make your selections by pushing the appropriate button. The bet slip will auto-populate, and if you want to create parlays or make other changes to the bets, you’ll do them in the bet slip.

Florida sportsbook bonuses and promotions

One of the biggest differences between online and live sports betting is the presence of bonuses and promotions on apps. Because you (usually) have several choices for what app to use at any given moment, sportsbooks have to offer such incentives to be competitive.

Here are some of the more common types of bonuses you’re likely to find:

💸 No Deposit: No deposit bonuses award you with site credits or bonus bets without any deposit in return. For the most part, these bonuses are reserved for new players who receive their freebies for registering for an account. However, you may see a no deposit bonus pop up for everyone from time to time, such as during holidays or in association with other special events.

🏦 Deposit: Deposit bonuses may be the most common type of bonus. They are often called match bonuses or reload bonuses because of how they work. You make a deposit, and the sportsbook matches some or all of your deposit. Although the most generous of these bonuses are usually for new players, all users can generally find some type of deposit bonus available to them at any time.

💵 Risk-Free: Another type of bonus is the bonus bet which can be applied to specific bets, specific games, or specific time periods. For every dollar of net loss, the sportsbook will refund your money to you up to a certain maximum. These bonuses are sometimes called cashback or insurance bonuses, but they all mean the same thing — you get your money back if you lose. However, be aware that these bonuses only apply to net losses, not individual ones.

🚀 Odds Boost: The odds boost is so common that it might have its own separate tab and not be listed with the other promotions. As the name implies, an odds boost involves the sportsbook artificially inflating the payout on a certain bet in favor of the player. Usually, the inflation is not large, but it can be a nice sweetener if you already plan to make a similar bet.

There are a couple of things to mention about these bonuses. The first is that they rarely payout in straight cash. As we mentioned, with no deposit bonuses, you are more likely to be compensated in site credits or bonus bets. Site credits function like cash but cannot be withdrawn. Bonus bets are vouchers for a wager of a certain value, and they must be used in their entirety on a single bet.

The other point to note is that site credits often come with a playthrough requirement. In essence, you will have to bet a certain amount of money in order to release the credits as actual cash. The amount you have to bet varies, but it is always a multiple of the amount of bonus credits you’re trying to release. For example, if you are trying to play through a $50 bonus, you might have to wager anywhere from $50 to $2,500 to convert it into withdrawable funds. You don’t have to lose that much, mind you, but you do have to put that much at risk to receive your bonus. Bonus bets and the credits you receive as a new player usually have the lowest playthrough requirements.

History of sports betting in Florida

When a US Supreme Court ruling did away with the federal ban on sports betting in 2018, Florida was not in a rush to get on board initially. Like other large states, Florida has several different stakeholders with a seat at the table when it comes to almost any gambling-related issue. Not least among these interested parties are the voters, who overwhelmingly approved a measure in 2018 that made any gambling expansions the responsibility of the citizens themselves. However, through a series of events in 2019, lawmakers found themselves starting to consider a host of options for sports betting.

Here’s a short timeline of what has happened since then with regard to the ongoing battle to launch sports betting in Florida.

2019

Under the terms of its previous compact with the state, the Seminole Tribe of Florida had been making payments of $350 million to the state government every year. However, with the compact terms ending, the tribe wanted to secure its position as the only provider of banked card games in the state.

Upset about the proliferation of gambling options offered at pari-mutuel facilities around the state, the tribe said it was willing to pay $500 million per year in exchange for those games’ cessation. Unfortunately for them, Gov. Ron DeSantis would not sign off on the new compact, and the Seminoles responded by pledging to withhold the $350 million in payments to the state.

Meanwhile, State Sen. Jeff Brandes filed a trio of bills that would install the Florida Lottery as the main regulatory body in charge of sports betting and leave out the Seminoles. However, none of those bills made it out of committee.

2020

Florida lawmakers did not take kindly to the loss of the tribe’s payments. In fact, some were angry enough to muse about cutting the tribe out of Florida gambling entirely. Sen. Brandes, apparently recognizing an opportunity, refiled updated versions of his three bills from the previous year. However, as was the case in 2019, political pressure from the Seminoles on other members of the Florida Legislature prevented Brandes’ bills from enjoying any meaningful progression.

As a result, the discussion turned toward negotiating a brand new compact. The new proposal included increased payment to the state from the Seminoles, but it also introduced the possibility of authorizing the tribe the right to offer legal sports betting in the state. Meanwhile, the tribe’s desire to stop the pari-mutuels’ games was set aside.

2021

Even though the new compact proposal had plenty of support, as 2021 unfolded it was not clear Florida would be able to make the end-of-session deadline to pass it. However, in the final week before the April 30 session gavel, DeSantis signed the new compact into law. The Legislature then met for a special session in May to vote on the new terms of the deal with the Seminoles.

It took both chambers of the legislative body only two days to tweak the compact and pass it back to the governor. With DeSantis’ signature, the compact moved on to the Department of the Interior for its approval. In a surprising move, the DOI declined to rule one way or the other about the legitimacy of the compact, which practically speaking meant the compact was “considered to have been approved by operation of law to the extent that it complies with IGRA and existing Federal law.”

It appeared as though Florida was on the precipice of entering a new, legal sports betting era. In fact, on Nov. 1, the Seminoles launched its brand new Hard Rock Bet app and began accepting wagers. However, the ownership group of a pair of South Florida pari-mutuel facilities filed a lawsuit in the late summer, arguing that the new compact violated the IGRA. On Nov. 22 a federal judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, thereby vacating the new compact. A couple of weeks after that, the Seminoles took their new Hard Rock sports betting app offline.

2022

The year 2022 began with the future of legal sports betting in Florida once more in doubt. The tribe and the DOI appealed the ruling and now await a decision. The D.C. Court of Appeals accepted briefs from August-November. Then, it held oral arguments in December. A decision is expected sometime in mid-2023.

Meanwhile, efforts to get a new sports betting initiative on the November ballot failed despite significant support and lobbying efforts from DraftKings and FanDuel. Despite the failure of the sports betting initiative to get on the ballot in 2022, it appears there is growing support for it in the next election cycle. The Havenick family, who owns two pari-mutuels and initiated the first lawsuits against the gaming compact, donated $4 million to Florida Education Champions in mid-April.

Florida Education Champions is the political action committee that spearheaded the signature-gathering efforts for the sports betting ballot initiative. The group received $37.5 million in funding from FanDuel and DraftKings. The Havenick family’s donation marks the first time a major Florida company gave the PAC money. It’s a clear indication that there is growing support for the initiative, while the status of the compact is still in limbo.

2023

In June, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled for Florida’s 2021 tribal-state gaming compact, vacating a District Court’s decision that the compact violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The Circuit Court ruling could allow the Seminole Tribe to restart accepting online sports betting in Florida through the tribe’s Hard Rock Bet app, however on Aug. 14, 2023, the plaintiffs filed for a rehearing in the case. There is no timeline for the Court of Appeals to make a decision on that front.

FAQ on Florida sports betting

How old do I have to be to bet on sports in Florida?

The minimum age to bet on sports in Florida will be 21 years old once apps launch and retail sportsbooks open their doors.

Who oversees sports betting in Florida?

When lawmakers voted to legalize sports betting in May 2021, they also created the Florida Gaming Control Commission to serve as the new regulatory body to oversee it.

Is DraftKings legal in Florida?

DraftKings is legal as a daily fantasy sports provider in Florida right now, which means you can participate in DFS contests on the site. However, the DraftKings Sportsbook is not legal in Florida at this time.

Is Barstool Sportsbook legal in Florida?

No, not yet. No online sportsbooks are currently legal in Florida. Should they become legal, it remains to be seen whether Barstool Sportsbook will be among the available options.

Can I bet on the University of Florida?

When sports betting resumes in the state, players will be allowed to bet on the Gators (or Seminoles or Hurricanes).

How much is the Seminole Tribe of Florida worth?

At least $12 billion. A November 2016 article from Forbes pegs the tribe’s combined worth at $12 billion, and it likely has become much more than that in the years since then. A more recent article states that the tribe enjoys revenues north of $850 million each year, good enough for every tribe member to receive $128,000 annually. The Seminoles are unequivocally one of the wealthiest Native American tribes in the US.