Is Online Sports Betting Legal in Florida?

In 2018, the United States Supreme Court eased regulations regarding online sports betting, placing the powers for the regulation of online wagering into the hands of lawmakers in the 50 states across the nation. Many states opted to end restrictions almost immediately, while others have made a gradual shift towards legalization.

It has allowed sportsbooks to rise in popularity and offer users great odds, a diverse range of markets, and intriguing bonus offers. We review the best sportsbooks on offer in the United States, and although Florida has yet to legalize online sports betting and legalization of online casinos in Florida also seems far away – there is hope that regulations could be eased in the future to allow sports wagering to thrive in the region.

Here is a selection of the best sportsbooks that could be available for Florida online sports betting in the future depending on changes to laws regarding online gambling in Florida.

Hard Rock Sportsbook

Hard Rock Sportsbook app was the chosen brand of the Seminole Tribe to bring sports betting into Florida. It has a number of strengths that include a diverse range of betting markets for all major US and overseas sports along with competitive odds across the board. There are regular odds boosts available on the NBA and NFL for game and player markets. The interface for their app is extremely impressive, providing a simple betting experience for customers.

Hardrock online sportsbook landing page
hard rock sports book

There is a good range of payment methods available, including Visa, Mastercard, PayNearMe, or a Play+ card, although the lack of e-wallet options is disappointing. The best aspect of their betting site is their deposit bonus, matching up to $250 from the first deposit made by new customers. Hard Rock Casino was forced to withdraw from Florida in late 2021, although there are ongoing discussions by lawmakers in the state to legalize online sports betting in Florida once and for all.

DraftKings

DraftKings Sportsbook is one of the most notable brands in the wagering industry in the United States. What began as a stellar fantasy product has now developed into a top-quality sportsbook, providing users with great sports betting options on their favorite US sports along with those overseas such as soccer, rugby and cricket among many more.

DraftKing map US - in green where Draftking is live online

Their bonuses are among the best in the industry when betting on the NFL, NBA, MLB, and the NHL and for college sports. DraftKings provide compelling betting odds for all major events such as the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, further proving why they are one of the best in the business. Their app is a testament to their excellence, allowing users to bet and deposit cash with ease. It may only be a matter of time before DraftKings Florida is available.

FanDuel

Another titan of the industry is FanDuel, which also specialized in fantasy sports before becoming a behemoth in its own right as a sportsbook. It offers a diverse offering of betting markets and excellent value on its odds across the board whether it comes to wagering on the NFL or the English Premier League.

Fanduel first page

Their welcome offer has also been noted as one of the best in the industry, providing a $1,000 bonus bet for new users from their first deposit. There are regular promotions available for existing customers, honoring the loyalty of users that use their product on a continual basis. FanDuel proves that it will be an excellent option for Florida sports betting online when the time is right.  

BetMGM

BetMGM has matched its rivals in the industry when it comes to the variety of its betting markets and the value on its wagering odds. One of the factors that make BetMGM Casino is the quality of their same game parlay wagers, which provide users with the chance to stack up betting markets from one NFL, NBA, MLB, or NHL into one bet to enhance their odds.

BetMGM online horse racing Florida

BetMGM provides regular bonuses to improve their odds on certain sports betting markets, ensuring that customers are rewarded for their service. Their welcome offer is among the best, matching their first wager up to $1,000 with a bonus bet. Options such as live streaming ensure that BetMGM is ahead of the curve, and will provide a quality wagering option for Florida residents in the future.

Sportsbook Licensing

Matters in Florida have been complicated regarding online sports betting over the last year. Governor Ron DeSantis did hand control of sportsbook licensing to the Seminole Tribe in the Sunshine State in 2021. The Seminole Tribe selected Hard Rock Sportsbook to operate in the state in November 2021, which allowed Florida residents to place bets on professional sports on a variety of markets, including on the moneyline, spread, and player props.

However, lawmakers in Florida suspended the right of the Seminole Tribe to allow Hard Rock Sportsbook to provide online sports betting in the Sunshine State in December 2021. Owners of two pari-mutuel betting casinos in Florida challenged the initial ruling to allow online sports betting and a judge granted their decision, although it has been appealed by the Seminole Tribe.

There is no definitive answer to the question, is sports betting legal in Florida? At the moment it is not, although there will be further appeals by the Seminole Tribe along with DraftKings and FanDuel as they attempt to launch in the region. Watch this space, even though reports suggest that further delays in court could push the launch date for online sports betting in Florida back to 2025. That would be a massive blow for all concerned in the industry.

Land-based Sportsbooks

Since the ruling from lawmakers suspended the right for the Seminole Tribe to accept sports bets in December 2021, there is no possibility for wagering in-person on sports in the Sunshine State.

There were plans to allow the practice in a number of venues owned by the Seminole Tribe along with Hard Rock Casinos in Florida. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa, Seminole Casino, Coconut Creek, Seminole Classic Casino, Hollywood, Seminole Casino Hotel, Immokalee, and Seminole Casino Brighton, Okeechobee were all expected to offer sports betting for Florida residents to wager in-person on sports at their sites across the state.

However, the court ruling has provided a significant setback for sports betting, although you can visit their casino to place wagers on roulette and blackjack among others. Pari-mutuel betting options also exist in Florida for wagering on horse racing at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs Racecourse, while TVG and TwinSpires are among the sites to offer online betting options.

Sportsbook Profiles

SportsbookEstablishedHeadquartersCEO
Hard Rock Sportsbook2020Hollywood, FloridaRafi Ashkenazi
DraftKings Sportsbook2012Boston, MassachusettsJason Robins
FanDuel Sportsbook2009New York City, New YorkAmy Howe
BetMGM Sportsbook2018Jersey City, New JerseyAdam Greenblatt

Types Of Sports Bets

While we’re waiting for the fate of sports betting in Florida online to be determined, you have time to become well versed in all the terminology of wagering online to allow you to place your bets immediately when sports betting is once again permitted in the Sunshine State. Here is a breakdown of what types of bets are available from the leading sportsbooks such as Hard Rock and DraftKings.

Moneyline – This wager is as simple as it comes as you place a bet on the team or person you believe will win a game or event. The odds for these bets are represented by a whole number such as +200. The lower the number, the more likely the event is to occur and vice versa. It is always a good idea to take the odds into account before placing a wager.

Spread – This type of bet is a bit more complicated, although it is easy enough to understand once explained. In this wager, the two teams are assigned a value based on who is the favorite and who is the underdog, which is based on points differential.

The favorite will have a minus value, and the underdog a positive. If the favorite is assigned a value of -4.5, a bet on them would be a win if they were to win by five or more points. If the underdog was assigned a value of +4.5, a bet on them would succeed if they were to lose by less than five points.

Over/Unders – A sportsbook assigns a value to an event in a sports game such as total points. In this wager, you simply bet on whether the game will have more or fewer points than the value. These are common across the board in the United States in NFL and NBA games, UFC Fights among others. There are many variations based on the type of sport, all of which will be covered by the top sportsbooks in the industry.

Parlays/Same-Game ParlaysA parlay bet allows you to group several bets together from different games or events into one large wager that enhances your odds. The same-game parlay follows the same principle, although instead of combining markets from different games, you use markets from one game and combine them together. The latter is particularly used on major events such as the Super Bowl and To Bet on NBA Playoffs.

Looking Ahead

Online sports betting in Florida is at an impasse for now. Hopefully, matters will be resolved quickly for a relaunch in 2023 with Hard Rock Sportsbook already enjoying a presence in the region.

Once the regulations have been eased, there are a number of reputable sportsbooks on the market that are primed and ready to join them, offering their own unique brand of betting markets and competitive odds for Florida bettors on all the major US sports. We await the opening of the floodgates, which may occur sooner rather than later.