Florida sportsbooks are limited to Hard Rock Bet due to the state's gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe, which owns and operates the Hard Rock brand.
Yes, sports betting is legal in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida to allow mobile sports betting processed through servers on tribal land.
Because the agreement is only with the Seminole Tribe, the only online sportsbook currently available in Florida is Hard Rock Bet, which is owned and operated by the tribe.
Yes. The expanded Seminole Compact allows legal fantasy contests. Under the terms of the Tribe deal, daily fantasy sports are classed as “games of skill.”
There is a long history of pari-mutuel betting on horse races in Florida. The Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering oversees betting. Track betting is permitted, as is OTB (Off-Track Betting) and simulcast wagering.
You can make deposits via mobile phone and place bets on football, baseball, and other major sports. It’s like placing bets at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino without leaving home.
You’ll be able to take advantage of some great sportsbook promotions year-round. You can get enhanced odds on the Super Bowl winner or a bonus bet for the Stanley Cup. You’ll also be able to claim money back on losing bets on major finals.
Here's what our experts have to say:
"The first word that comes to mind when I think about the app is "quick." Everything loads (and refreshes) quickly ... Bets are processed instantly, login is fast and easy, the app is very smooth and user-friendly, odds and lines refresh quickly. While I'd love to see streaming options added, the live betting setup on Hard Rock is impressive. Hard Rock Bet may not be the industry-leader in sports market variety, but they're certainly near the top of the pile. You can always find a few of these with a good (bordering on great) EV, and that does a lot to make up for the lack of other bonuses."
You can read more of our experts' takes in our full Hard Rock Bet review.
In March, the Florida Supreme Court denied a petition challenging the compact.
West Flagler Associates filed a supplemental brief with the U.S. Supreme Court against the Department of the Interior, explaining why the court should grant its petition and hear the case. On June 17, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would not hear the case, which officially ended the legal challenges to Florida sports betting (for now).
In October, the Seminole Tribe and West Flagler Associates announced an agreement to settle their Florida sports betting dispute permanently. Under this agreement, West Flagler agreed to halt further litigation, and the Seminole Tribe partnered with West Flagler to offer jai alai betting on the Hard Rock Bet app.
In June, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the lower court’s decision, ruling that the compact was within the Department of the Interior's authority to approve. The court also stated that any questions regarding the compact's potential conflict with the Florida Constitution were matters for state courts to decide.
The 24-page opinion issued by the three-judge panel said that while the IGRA can allow a tribe “to conduct gaming only on its own lands,” it also “does not prohibit a gaming compact” from including language regarding other matters.
West Flagler Associates petitioned in August for a rehearing en banc in their sports betting lawsuit against the Interior Department. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the request the following month. However, on Oct. 13, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a temporary stay of the appeals court's ruling.
In early November, Hard Rock Bet announced that mobile betting would be available in Florida on a limited basis and in-person betting would be available in Seminole casinos. West Flagler filed a motion with the Florida Supreme Court requesting an immediate suspension of sports betting while awaiting a final ruling. The court declined to expedite the case.
Hard Rock Bet once again began accepting mobile bets on Dec. 5, and retail sportsbooks opened on Dec. 7.
The Seminole Tribe filed a brief seeking to be heard in the Florida sports betting case, and oral arguments were held before three U.S. Court of Appeals judges for the District of Columbia regarding the 2021 gambling compact.
Florida and the Seminole Tribe had the backing of the Biden administration. In August, the Department of the Interior filed a brief asking the appeals court to overturn Friedrich's ruling and reinstate the compact.
The court did not render a decision before the end of the calendar year, pushing the issue into 2023.
Gov. DeSantis signed a new 30-year gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe. This compact effectively legalized retail and online sports betting, granting the Seminole Tribe control over sports gambling in the state. It also allowed Seminole Tribe casinos to offer roulette and craps and permitted the expansion of tribal casinos.
Crucially, the compact stipulated that online wagers placed anywhere in Florida would be considered to have occurred on tribal land if routed through servers located on tribal lands. The deal was projected to generate around $500 million in annual revenue for Florida.
The Florida House and Senate approved the 30-year gaming compact during a special May session, forwarding it to the U.S. Department of the Interior for federal approval, per the IGRA.
In July, West Flagler Associates, an operator of local pari-mutuels, racetracks, and other operators, filed a federal lawsuit challenging the compact. They argued it violated the IGRA and the Florida Constitution Amendment 3, which prevents gaming expansion without voter approval.
In August, the then-Secretary Deb Haaland and the U.S. Department of the Interior approved Florida online sports betting by allowing the tribal compact to be published in the Federal Register.
In October, the Seminole Tribe made deals with five pari-mutuel operators under the expanded gambling compact. Under the compact, pari-mutuel operators pay the Seminole Tribe a cut of all gross gaming revenue.
On Nov. 1, 2021, Hard Rock launched its online sportsbook in Florida. Just three weeks later, U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled that the compact violated the IGRA because it defined online bets processed through servers on tribal land as occurring on tribal land. That halted online betting in Florida for the time being, as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in favor of Friedrich's decision on Dec. 3.
Senator Jeff Brandes filed SB 392, a bill authorizing the Florida Lottery to regulate sports betting without tribal involvement, but it did not advance in the legislature. The legislative session concluded without any attempt at a comprehensive gambling deal that would include Florida sports betting.
Gov. DeSantis refused to sign off on a tentative deal that would have allowed Tribal casinos to offer sports gambling with a share of the revenue paid to the Seminole Tribe. In response, the Seminoles informed the governor they would cease making annual payments of approximately $350 million to the state.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (which essentially outlawed sports wagering nationwide) was not legal, opening the door for states to legalize sports betting on their own terms.
In November, the Seminole Tribe supported the passage of Amendment 3, which was approved by 71% of Florida voters. This amendment grants voters the "exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling". It prevents the Legislature from authorizing new casino gambling expansions without voter approval, thereby requiring collaboration with the Seminole Tribe for future sports betting legislation.
Voters also voted to ban dog racing in the state; the final race was held in late 2020.
2010: In February, Governor Charlie Crist, the Seminole Tribe, and Florida lawmakers signed a compact guaranteeing the state at least $1 billion over five years. This compact became a source of dispute, leading the Seminole Tribe to eventually remove itself from this compact due to disagreements over racino card game revenue and operation. Casino operations continue, but the state stopped receiving tax revenue from the tribe's gaming operations.
1991: Then-Attorney General Robert Butterworth issued an opinion on Jan. 7 stating that operating a fantasy sports league in Florida would violate state law, making DFS a "dicey situation."
1988: In October, President Ronald Reagan signed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) into law, creating a regulatory framework for Native American tribes to offer gambling on their reservations. This act helped codify the Seminole Tribe's position as a prominent provider of gambling services in Florida. The IGRA mandates that the type of game offered must be legally allowed within the state and requires a tribal-state compact approved by the state's Secretary of the Interior.
Florida casinos boast a wide selection of tribal casinos, commercial casinos, and racinos. Racinos offer a mix of slots and pari-mutuel facilities. Sports betting is allowed in casinos overseen by the Seminoles:
Florida's sports betting allows online pre-live and in-play betting on all professional and college sports. Players can bet on the same range of U.S. and international markets at other legalized sports betting sites. You can place online bets on basketball, baseball, and hockey events.
Here's a look at the local teams in Florida:
From the Magic City Casino to Seminole Tribe properties, every establishment practices good responsible gambling. FL sportsbooks will also help gamblers stay in control of their betting.
You’ll have access to a range of tools that let you set your deposit and betting limits. You can also request a time-out or period of self-exclusion. Good Florida sports betting apps will list resources such as Gamblers Anonymous and the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling.
Is betting legal in Florida?
Yes, sports betting is now legal in Florida.
Do I need to be a Florida resident to bet online?
You do not need to be a Florida resident to bet. But, you must be physically located in Florida to make sports wagers online or through your mobile phone.