Florida is one of the states in the US that has the most forms of gambling available to its residents, but under certain circumstances. Like in no other state in the country, in Florida the gambling scene is dominated by the tribal casinos. These generate about 3 billion USD per year.

Under the state laws, it is the tribal casinos that can offer the most forms of gambling including blackjack and poker. Other activities allowed within the state are racinos, pari-mutuel wagering, charitable gaming, state-operated lottery, and cruise line ship casinos. Sportsbook activity is still not approved but as of 2018, there has been an on-and-off debate and negotiation regarding the bill that would regulate this betting activity in Florida.

There are several departments in charge of regulating gambling in the state. These are the Department of Agriculture, Sweepstakes Registration, as well as the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering.

Interactive gambling was not allowed in Florida by the time we were ready to share this publication. The state did not permit either of its land-based tribal casinos to go online, nor was it ready to welcome any international operators. In fact, the state treats this question very seriously. Any operator caught providing illegal gambling services will be charged with the Class 3 Felony.

That being said, players from Florida can still head to many international online casinos that welcome traffic from the USA. This can be done without any VPN or other forms of disguise online. The only obstacle might be that you won’t be able to deposit and withdraw via bank cards or account, but there are alternatives.

Banking in Florida-Friendly Live Casinos

If you are new to gambling in international lobbies the process of depositing and withdrawing might look confusing at first. You will see that many cashiers accept cards and work with bank transfers. At the same time, under the USA laws, banks should block any financial activity tied to offshore gambling.

When it comes to real life, in some cases your cards might be declined online but not always. Alternatively, you can always deposit via prepaid vouchers, e-wallets, or even use cryptocurrencies.

Thousands of USA-based players found digital wallets with BTC, LTC, ETH, and other types of money extremely convenient when it comes to gambling online. Plus, the list of reputable casinos adapted to these forms of cash, grows every day. To mention a few, we can name Bovada and Slots.LV.

Types of Live Games Available to Residents of Florida

The list of studios providing slot machines is quite decent and includes content from developers like RealTime Gaming, Rival, Saucify, and BetSoft. When it comes to live dealer studios, this list is a bit smaller but all the studios on it are reputable. We can recommend Arrow’s Edge, Fresh Deck, and Visionary iGaming.

Each of these studios has a couple of variations of roulette and blackjack, as well as baccarat. The list of live table pokers is somewhat smaller, but modifications like Texas Hold’em are available.

When it comes to gambling, the state lottery and tribal casinos bring in the most revenue. The first bingo hall was launched in 1979 under tribal jurisdiction. The state lottery appeared in Florida in 1986. By 2004, slot machines were voted to be allowed in certain counties.

The state collects a 35% tax on the gross gaming revenue of casinos, and the card rooms pay 10% of their gross gaming revenue to the state treasury.

The official age for the lottery is 18 years. You will need to be 21 to play poker and place bets.

Land-Based Casinos in Florida

Two tribes in charge of running brick and mortar casinos are the Seminola Tribe and the Miccosukee Tribe. To mention a few out of many gambling destinations that they run, there are brands like Miccosukee Casino, Semolina Casino Classic, Semolina Hard Rock Hollywood, and more.

Pari-Mutuel Betting in Florida

Up until 2021, Florida was one of the few states where they allowed dog racing, but this form of activity ceased to exist. Horse racing still remains. There are about a dozen racetracks across the state.

Attached to the racetracks, there can be smaller casinos called racinos. These may have slot machines and pokers. No house-banked table games are allowed, however.

Lotteries in Florida

Launched more than 2 decades ago, the lottery brings in millions of dollars, and the surplus from this form of wagering goes to fund state education.

Other Forms of Gambling in Florida

Florida is one of the biggest ports for cruise line ships in the United States. These have casinos and regularly throw gambling tours. Gaming is possible once the ships reach international waters.

Charitable gambling can be run in Florida although there is a precise list of organizations that can throw such events, as well as types of games that can be hosted. That being said, no special state licensing is needed. Charitable games are not taxed.