Florida Sports Betting Updates & Launch News

Florida sports betting is legal again. A re-launch of Florida sports betting appsfinally transpired on Nov. 7  when the Hard Rock Bet app began accepting deposits and wagers from existing customers.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida is set to launch retail sports betting at all six Seminole Casinos in December 2023.

A positive development with regards to Florida sports betting transpired on June 30, 2023 when a federal appeal court ruled that Florida’s agreement with the Seminole Tribe to allow sports betting throughout the state on online apps is legal. The re-launch of sports betting was held up after that ruling due to various legal entanglements.

Sports betting in Florida was temporarily legalized in 2021, but a judge rejected the compact between Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida shortly after it was instated.

Stayed tuned to Gaming Today for updates on legal sports betting in Florida and what online sportsbooks could arrive in the Sunshine State.

Is Sports Betting Legal in Florida?

Sports betting is legal again in Florida after the Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Seminole Tribe on June 30, 2023. The ruling allowed  for Hard Rock Bet to return to its active status in Florida.

Sports betting was legal in the Sunshine State for roughly three weeks in 2021. However, a federal judge struck down the compact between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the state, which had paved the way for mobile sports betting.

The Seminoles had asked the court to “stay” the ruling while the tribe appealed it. The tribe argued halting operations would cause “irreparable harm” to its economic interests.

But in a 2-1 ruling, the appellate court said the tribe had not met the difficult standard of demonstrating irreparable harm. The Seminole Tribe successfully appealed that decision and the DC District Court of Appeals overturned that District Court decision.

Florida Sports Betting: A Quick Overview

Alternatives to Sports Betting in Florida

Only one of the best sports betting apps is currently live in the Sunshine State, but luckily Fliff Social Sportsbook is available!

Use Fliff Promo Code “GTODAY” to get started with the app with just a purchase match up to $100 Fliff Cash and 600,000 Fliff coins. Fliff offers all of the traditional sports bets (moneyline, spread, totals, etc.) on a wide variety of sports, so it is different than DFS sites.  And you can redeem winnings for cash prizes. Yet, it is completely legal in Florida because it is free to play.

Fliff isn’t quite the same as real-money sports betting, but it is a nice alternative.

You can also consider checking out these Florida DFS sites. Use our exclusive links below to claim offers. You can also check out Fliff Sportsbook for a completely free and legal site that is closer to traditional sports betting.

Top Florida DFS Apps

DraftKings Florida >> Claim $20 in site credits on deposit + a 20% match up to $500
FanDuel Florida >> Claim one sports entry on sign up + deposit $10, get $10

Current Status of Florida Sports Betting

After months of legal wrangling, online sports betting is back in play in Florida. As of Nov. 7, the Hard Rock Bet app started accepting deposits and wagers from existing customers, returning the coveted state of nearly 22 million residents to the regulated sports betting fold.

Retail sports betting is set to launch in Florida at six casinos in early December.

On Nov. 1, 2023, the Seminole Tribe of Florida announced plans to move forward with expanded casino games based on the Gaming Compact signed and approved by the Tribe and the State of Florida in 2021. On Oct. 25, the United States Supreme Court denied West Flagler Associates’ request for a permanent stay on the Seminole Tribe of Florida re-launching sports betting in the state.

Craps, roulette and sports betting will launch to the public on Dec. 7 at all three Seminole Casinos in South Florida: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood and Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.

On Dec. 8, the new games will launch at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & CasinoTampa. On December 11, the new games will launch at Seminole Casino Immokalee, near Naples, and Seminole Brighton Casino, on the northwest side of Lake Okeechobee.

When Can I Bet On Sports In Florida?

The Hard Rock Bet app is live now for existing customers. Retail sports betting in Florida is set to go live in December, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has announced.

The Seminole Tribe and Seminole Hard Rock plan to celebrate “A New Era in Florida Gaming” in December for the launch of craps, roulette and sports betting at all six Seminole Casinos.

“The Seminole Tribe thanks the State of Florida, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Justice for defending our Compact. By working together, the Tribe, the State and the federal government achieved a historic legal victory,” Marcellus Osceola Jr., Chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, said in a press release.

Can I Use Sports Betting Apps in Florida?

Yes, if you were an existing customer with Hard Rock Bet. Users were told that having placed a bet through Hard Rock in 2021 or possessing one of two loyalty cards earned early access.

Hard Rock Digital, which is majority-owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, last took bets in the state on Dec. 4, 2021. Gary Bitner, spokesperson for the  Seminole Tribe of Florida, told Gaming Today in statement: “The Seminole Tribe is offering limited access to existing Florida customers to test its Hard Rock Bet platform.”

Where to Bet in Florida: Retail Sportsbooks

All six Seminole Casinos are set to launch in-person sports betting in December 2023.

What Sports Betting Apps Are Live In Florida?

Hard Rock Bet

The Hard Rock Bet app is now live for existing customers in Florida and offers a platform that  integrates online casino, sportsbook, and rewards into one easy-to-use, frictionless experience. Hard Rock International, owned and operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, announced in July 2023 Hard Rock Sportsbook has been renamed Hard Rock Bet. It is available on iOS, Android, and online at HardRock.bet.

The Hard Rock Bet sports betting app is the only app to have previously launched in Florida. Now that it has returned to the state, users can take advantage of its wide variety of sports-betting options: spread, money line, totals, parlays, props, futures, teasers, and more.

Funding your Hard Rock Bet account is easy, too. Deposit money securely with PayPal, Venmo, or directly from your bank. Instant withdrawals are also available.

You’ll find an extensive list of sports to bet on including the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball, MMA, UFC, NASCAR, and more.

HardRock Bet offers competitive odds and solid promotions. Most recently, new accounts received a bonnus $100 bet and a matching sign-up bonus up to $1,000. The app features a modern interface, and it’s very easy to use.

Another thing we like about the Hard Rock Bet app? It features two clearly designated areas for games that are live and those that are coming soon. This means you’ll never miss out on the action.

Potential Florida Sports Betting Apps

DraftKings Sportsbook

There is a strong likelihood that DraftKings will launch in Florida in the future, too. As mentioned above, the company was a driving force behind the failed sports-betting ballot initiative.

Florida Education Champions needed to have 891,589 valid signatures by Feb. 1, 2022, to get the referendum on the November 2022 ballot. According to the Florida Division of Elections website, the petition had 349,035 valid signatures as of mid-January.

On Jan. 15, 2022, DraftKings upped the ante and offered all of its Florida customers $100 if they sign the petition.

“Sign the petition to add sports betting to the Florida ballot! All you have to do is print, sign, and mail in yours by Jan. 19. If we hit the signature count by Feb. 1, Florida customers will receive $100 DK dollars,” DraftKings Sportsbook tweeted.

It’s not a question of if, but rather when DraftKings will be up and running in Florida.

The DraftKings Sportsbook app ranks at the top of our list for best overall betting experience. The app features a user-friendly interface that helps new sports bettors acclimate more easily. DraftKings Sportsbook also features a slew of promotions for new users. There is a matching sign-up bonus of up to $1,000, and a $50 bonus bet after you make a deposit. Keep an eye out for new daily promotions, too.

The DraftKings app, which is available in both iOS and Android, features some of the most competitive odds in the industry.

FanDuel Sportsbook

FanDuel Sportsbook is another blue-chip book that is likely to launch in Florida in due time. With DraftKings, the company is a major contributor and campaigner for the sports-betting ballot initiative.

FanDuel Sportsbook offers a bonus bet of up to $1,000 for new users. One thing that sets FanDuel apart is its live betting. The elite user interface allows for seamless in-game wagers, which are also known as live bets that are made when a game’s in progress. In-game betting has become increasingly popular in the industry, and nobody offers a better experience than FanDuel Sportsbook.

The FanDuel Sportsbook is one of the most comprehensive sports-betting apps available to both iOS and Android users. We highly recommend FanDuel Sportsbook for its attractive lines (across several sports) and ease of use.

DraftKings and FanDuel – two of the largest sportsbook brands in the industry – already offer daily fantasy sports to Florida residents. Technically, DFS doesn’t count as official gambling, so both brands are allowed to offer services in Florida despite grumbling from the state government. Moreover, both companies are behind a massive public interest campaign intent on putting mobile betting to a public vote to ensure they are not left out by the Seminole Tribe. 

History of Legal Sports Betting In Florida

The road to Florida sports betting legalization has been far from smooth.

Hard Rock Bet had launched its mobile betting app in Florida on Nov. 1, 2021. It then suspended operations and use of its sports betting app on Dec. 4, 2021 after the Florida sports betting compact was overturned by a federal judge.

June Ruling Opened the Door for Return of Florida Sports Betting

The latest chapter in the Florida sports betting saga began on June 30, 2023. On that day, a three-judge panel reversed a lower court ruling in the lawsuit filed by West Flagler Associates and another parimutuel outlet, Bonita Springs Poker Room, which had nullified the 30-year compact the Seminole Tribe of Florida had signed with the state government in 2021. That agreement allowed the Seminoles through their Hard Rock Digital company to add retail sports betting in Florida, craps, and roulette to their menu at six casinos.

Florida Politics reported that the opinion from Judge Robert Wilkins of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Washington, D.C., overturned a lower court ruling throwing out the Gaming Compact on the grounds it approved gambling outside of tribal lands in violation of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). But the IGRA doesn’t ban gambling outside of tribal grounds, Wilkins ruled, it merely authorizes gambling on their grounds.

Florida Sports Betting Relaunch Stymied by West Flagler

The relaunch of in-person and online sports betting in Florida was repeatedly held up in the courts. On Aug. 15, 2023, West Flagler Associates – the plaintiffs who first brought the case against the U.S. Department of the Interior – filed a petition for a rehearing of its defeat in the Florida sports betting case against the Department of the Interior in the US Court of Appeals, DC Circuit.

On Sept. 11, 2023, Gaming Today reported the United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit denied West Flagler Associates‘ request for an en banc appeal of their unfavorable ruling against the Department of the Interior in June, in effect ending the process in that court.

On Sept. 15, the Orlando Sentinel reported that the owners of the Magic City Casino and the Bonita Springs Poker Room asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a case claiming that a multibillion-dollar gambling agreement giving the Seminole Tribe full control over sports betting in Florida violates federal law, specifically the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which regulates gambling on tribal lands.

Another legal twist came in late September when Gaming Today reported that West Flagler Associates asked the Florida Supreme Court to prevent the Seminole Tribe of Florida from relaunching sports betting in the state. On Sept. 28, West Flagler Associates’ request for a stay on the relaunch of legal wagering in the state was denied.

Supreme Court Denies West Flagler’s Stay Request

On Oct. 25, 2023, the United States Supreme Court denied West Flagler Associates’ request for a permanent stay on the Seminole Tribe of Florida re-launching sports betting in the state. The request, made on Oct. 12, was referred by Chief Justice John Roberts to the full court after issuing a temporary stay.

Most Popular Sports To Bet On In Florida

Florida is an attractive sports betting market for most operators in part because of the variety of professional sports franchises that make their homes in this state. With these franchises come small armies of fans who will likely be more than happy to put money down on their teams during upcoming matches.

Florida Professional Sports Teams

There are lots of popular professional Florida sports franchises you can support with your wagers.

These include top NBA teams like the Miami Heat, which has and has won three NBA championships, and Orlando Magic, which has made it to the NBA Finals twice in franchise history.

Florida also has three of the most popular teams when it comes to getting the best NFL betting odds in the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Jacksonville Jaguars. The Buccaneers have won two Super Bowl championships and, along with the Baltimore Ravens, are the only two NFL franchises who are undefeated in multiple Super Bowl appearances. The Dolphins have won two Super Bowl titles (1972 and 1973) and remain the only team to compete a perfect season in NFL history, winning all 14 of their regular-season games, and all three of their playoff games en route to taking the 1972 Super Bowl title. The Jaguars have four playoff appearances and two division titles since 2000.

When it comes to NHL side, Florida has two accomplished franchises in the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. The Lightning have won three Stanley Cup championships: 2004, 2020, and 2021. They also reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2015 and in 2022. The Panthers advanced to the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals but lost to the Vegas Golden Knights as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Florida also has two MLB teams in the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays. The Marlins won the World Series during their first two runs in 1997 and 2003.  The Tampa Bay Rays won the American League pennant again in 2020 and losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in that year’s World Series.

All told, you’ll be able to place wagers on all the major professional sport you can think of, including:

• Basketball
• Baseball
• Football
• Hockey
• Soccer

Florida College Sports Teams

• College Football odds
• College Basketball odds

Betting on college sports is allowed in Florida and the state’s college team roster is also nothing to sneeze at. Take the Florida Gators, a college basketball team, and a college football team. Both teams have lots of supporters both within and outside Florida’s borders, but the Gators football team is also known as a team that produces a lot of future NFL stars.

Florida also has a variety of baseball, basketball, and football college teams to support.

Other states have limitations on placing wagers on in-state college teams or games that take place at State University arenas. However, there are some states that don’t have limitations on collegiate betting.

Other Sports To Bet On In Florida

Alongside more traditional sports to put money down on, you’ll be able to place wagers on a variety of other sporting activities. Many major and established sportsbook operators, such as DraftKings and FanDuel, have wide betting markets for all kinds of activities and leagues, such as:

• Darts
• Cricket
• MMA fighting
• NASCAR
• Lacrosse

International sports are usually well-represented by many major sportsbooks, too. These include Korean baseball, Australian rules football, rugby, and more. All in all, when Florida finally fully launches its sports betting industry, sports wagerers will find an almost infinite number of activities to bet on at their fingertips.

Potential Florida Sports Betting Revenue

Perhaps the single most important aspect that may sway Florida legislators and the public toward sports betting legalization is revenue.

As mentioned above, the Seminole Tribe stopped paying the state government $350 million in annual revenue in 2019, when they contested that allowing racinos to provide various card games broke the 2010 Compact. This took a serious bite out of the state government’s budget, which was only compounded with COVID-19.

All told, the Florida state government has had to deal with a $3 billion shortfall between the years 2020 and 2021. That has had serious negative effects on its operational abilities and the comfort of its people.

Sports betting is one potential pathway to additional revenue that the government may not be able to afford to pass up. Just how much revenue can the state government expect? It’s tough to say with any specificity.

But other states betting industries can provide some insight into the revenue the Florida state government may expect. For example, New Jersey brought in over $50 million in November 2020 alone. That wasn’t even the state’s most profitable month; in October, it brought in nearly $59 million.

Additionally, reaching some kind of sports betting licensing agreement would allow the state government to bring in revenue from the Seminole Tribe once again. All in all, the government could see hundreds of millions or even close to $1 billion in annual revenue per year once a sports betting industry is established.

How Florida Sports Betting Compares To Other States

At this time, Florida ranks pretty lowly compared to states with legal sports betting industries as it is so new.

This stands in stark contrast to many other states, such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Colorado, all of which have booming sports betting industries that bring in hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue at minimum every year. Even Louisiana legalized sports betting via referendum in 2020 and is working on its rules and regulations to launch betting. 

Additionally, Florida doesn’t have a big casino industry despite having several retail casinos dotted throughout its territory. The Seminole Tribe overall only brings in about $574 million per year as of 2019. That sounds like a lot of money, but it pales in comparison to states like Missouri, which brings over $2 billion in revenue, or New York, which brings in $2.7 billion per year in annual revenue.

All this is to say that Florida needs to do a lot for its gambling industry if it wants to catch up to these giants. Casinos need to expand and offer new gaming opportunities and luxury resort options, and sports betting needs to launch if it wants to benefit from the massive revenue streams just waiting to be tapped.

Florida Sports Betting Successes and Failures

FL Sports Betting Success

The main success in bringing legal betting to Florida is that it is even being discussed in the first place. After Gov. DeSantis reached an agreement with the Seminole Tribe, resulting in a new draft Gaming Compact, things looked like smooth sailing for sports fans and bettors in the state. But, there are some issues that could stand in the way of mobile apps launching in Florida. 

Where FL Sports Betting Could Improve Online Gaming

Although the Gaming Compact between Florida and the Seminole Tribe left the door open to online casino gaming in the future, this looks a lot less likely to happen. The Gaming Compact included a provision stating that the parties to the agreement could reconvene in three years to expand the Compact to include online casino gaming. The State Senate, though, pulled this provision immediately on the first day of its Special Session. This means the likelihood of online casino gaming coming to Florida is slim.

Another way in which Florida lags in comparison to other states with legal gaming is the power of the Seminole Tribe. Other states with legal betting have online betting apps owned and operated by commercial entities or tribes, and often a combination of the two. The Seminole Tribe has the sole power of all legal gaming in the state, which places them in a position of power that could lead to less competition in the state.

Timeline Of Florida Sports Betting

• 2010 – The Seminole Tribe receives the exclusive rights to offer all gambling activities in Florida
• 2019 – The Seminole Tribe removes itself from the 2010 Compact due to a disagreement with racino card game revenue and operation. The state stops receiving revenue from its gambling operations, although casino operations continue
• 2020 – Sen. Jeff Brandes files SB 392, which would allow for legal sports betting
• 2021 – Gov. DeSantis reaches an agreement with the Seminole to expand gambling in Florida to include both retail and online betting. 
• August 2021 – The US Department of Interior issued a “deemed” approval letter to the betting compact, implying it is legal under US law. 
• October 2021 – the anticipated launch date has come and gone. Updates could come in November after a hearing on Nov. 5 to address one of the lawsuits.
• November 2021 – Hard Rock Sportsbook launches its app in Florida.
• December 2021 – Hard Rock Sportsbook suspends the use of its sports-betting app.
• January 2022 – Florida sports betting will not have a referendum in November 2022 after Florida Education Champions announced it was unable to get the required amount of signatures by the Feb. 1 deadline.

Florida Sports Betting Responsible Gaming

The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, Inc. (FCCG) was established in 1988 as a gaming neutral 501(c)(3) educational and advocacy corporation that serves as the designated authority under state contract on gambling addiction. Its primary mission is to:

• Increase public awareness regarding the risks and consequences associated with gambling
• Provide assistance to problem gamblers, their families, and others adversely impacted
• Advocate for programs, services, funding, and other supports to address population-specific needs

The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling (FCCG) is committed to increasing public awareness about problem and compulsive gambling. The FCCG provides referral services and support to residents in need of assistance with a gambling addiction, as well as to professionals and others servicing this population. Each year, thousands of Floridians contact 888-ADMIT-IT to connect with the FCCG’s team of HelpLine Specialists that provide personalized and professional problem gambling assistance and resource referrals to both gamblers and loved ones.

Florida Sports Betting FAQs

More Resources On Florida Sports Betting

• Florida Senate Bill 392
• Florida Department of Lottery