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Top Florida Online Betting Sites & Sportsbooks
Written by: Daniel Collins
Last Updated:
Read Time: 4 minutes
Florida is known as the Sunshine State, but for the many sports bettors who reside there, a large cloud remains over their hopes of state regulated sports betting.
For a brief period late in 2021, sports bettors in Florida had access to local sports betting after a deal was reached between the Seminole Tribe and Governor Ron DeSantis.
But the fun lasted for only five weeks before a lawsuit filed by non-tribal gaming companies in the state brought it all to a halt.
Fast forward to 2023, and state run sports betting remains out of reach for Floridians.
A lack of interest isn’t the issue, nor is the market for teams and events that draw betting interest.
Betting sites located outside of the country, which welcome Florida players, usually have a gambling licenses from Curacao. You’ll often see them having approval stamps from organizations like Curacao eGaming and Gaming Curacao.
In Florida, there are three NFL teams (Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers), two NBA teams (Miami Heat and Orlando Magic), two MLB teams (Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays), two NHL teams (Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning), prominent universities such as Florida State, the University of Florida, the University of Miami, and the University of Central Florida, as well as a number of notable annual sporting events like the Daytona 500.
However, bettors in the state must seek out offshore sites to place bets on those teams and events for the time being. Here are the safest and most reliable options available:
Top Florida Online Betting Sites
Will sports betting be state run in Florida soon?
Since PASPA was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018, many states have made the most of the opportunity to introduce state regulated sports betting.
For now, things in Florida continue to remain in limbo. This means that there are no local ways for gamblers to make sports bets in Florida.
Will this change in the near future? There are a lot of hoops and red tape to work through, but there is a lot of interest in bringing regulated in-person and online sports betting to the Sunshine State.
Can Florida residents still bet on sports?
While state regulated sports betting may still be at least a few years away in Florida, Sunshine State residents can still bet on sports but must do so at offshore sports betting sites, which have been accepting players from Florida for decades.
Here are some of the offshore sportsbooks that Florida residents can use to bet on the Bucs, Heat, Rays, Seminoles, Gators, and others:
Is horse race betting legal in Florida?
While sports betting is not yet legal in Florida, that isn’t the case for in-person and online horse race betting, which are both legal in the state for residents over 18.
The Sunshine State is home to a number of race tracks, including Gulfstream Park.
Each spring, Gulfstream Park hosts the Florida Derby, which is one of the prep races for the Kentucky Derby.
Poker in Florida
One interesting twist in Florida is the popularity of poker and the availability of live poker games across the state. Not only do the casinos offer poker rooms, but the racetracks and dog tracks do as well, and these provide some excellent foot traffic into the facilities.
It is unclear how the new ban on greyhound racing will affect these poker rooms or if a track will be able to operate with just poker as an option.
Casino Gambling in Florida
Casino gambling is very popular in Florida, and it is also legal.
However, regulated casino gambling is restricted to in-person activity at the state’s tribal casinos.
If and when legal online and in-person sports betting comes to the Sunshine State, it is possible that legal online and in-person casino gambling could be approved as well, as is the case in many other states that have approved legal sports betting since 2018.
Can Florida residents participate in daily fantasy sports (DFS)?
Daily fantasy sports has not been legalized in Florida, but it is also not prohibited. As a result, Florida residents 18 and older can take part in DFS contests.
Lottery in Florida
While Florida residents may have a few more years of waiting to do to be able to bet on sports legally, the Florida Lottery is big business in the state and has been since 1988.
This is crucial revenue coming to the state that is repurposed for education programs as well as assisting other worthy causes across the state.
The Florida Lottery offers many kinds of scratch cards, as well as games like Powerball, Mega Million, and others.
Florida Betting FAQs
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