Florida sports betting remains an elusive dream for proponents.
While discussions in most states take place in public legislative hearings, sports betting negotiations in Florida happen nearly entirely behind the scenes.
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Any deal for sports betting in Florida must be worked out as part of a larger gambling compact between the state and the Seminole Tribe.
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Over the past two legislative sessions, leaders of the legislature and the tribe discussed a deal to restart tribal gaming payments to the state in return for permitting sports betting and other concessions for tribal casinos.
The 2020 session adjourned in March without an agreement on FL sports betting. It’s possible — though unlikely — to be included in a special session later in the year.
The future of Florida sports betting
Sports betting in Florida certainly could happen in the future. It remains illegal to wager on sports in Florida, though, for the time being.
After a deal was not reached in 2019, the Seminoles announced that they would not make their annual gaming payment of approximately $330 million to the state in 2020.
A new compact needs to be reached to restart the payment. That adds some urgency for the state to act on a deal that includes Florida sports betting.
When will online sports betting launch in Florida?
There’s reason to believe that 2021 could be the year for legalization of sports betting in the Sunshine State. The earliest sports wagers could be taken in Florida is probably 2022.
That theoretically could include the ability to wager online via mobile sports betting apps in Florida.
Sen. Wilton Simpson has a good relationship with the Seminoles and is taking over as Senate President. He worked out a tentative agreement with the tribe in 2019 before Gov. Ron DeSantis refused to sign off on the deal.
However, DeSantis is poised to become more involved in the negotiations. He indicated that he wants to see a comprehensive gambling deal get done.
The 60-day legislative session begins in March and ends early in May. If everything finally comes together in Florida and the governor signs off on a compact, it would still need federal approval.
Recent Florida sports betting news
Analysis: Does Florida Have Any Chance At Legalizing Sports Betting This Year?
A new year has brought with it a small (really, infinitely small) glimmer of hope that Florida will be able to get sports betting done during this year’s legislative session. Probably not, but still. As Legal Sports Report reported at the end of December, Jeff Brandes, a state Senator from the Pinellas area, has plans […] Read MoreWhat just happened? Android users will soon be able to access real-money gambling and betting apps on the Google Play Store, rather than having to sideload them, following a change in policy. Currently, such applications are only available in four countries worldwide, but they will be expanding to 15 more locations, including America.
Right now, only Android users in the UK, Brazil, Ireland, and France can access real-money gambling apps on the Play Store. According to 9to5Google, this will change on March 1 when they’ll be permitted in 15 new locations: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the United States.
UK Play Store gambling apps
The types of apps allowed on the store vary from country to country. They cover casino games, lotteries, sports betting, and daily fantasy sports. When they come to the US, what is and isn’t allowed will be decided on a per-state basis.
9To5Google published the list of state-by-state limitations:
- Online casino games (permitted in Delaware, Nevada (poker only), New Jersey, and Pennsylvania)
- Sports betting (permitted in Colorado, District of Columbia (governmental operators only), Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Montana (governmental operators only), Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon (governmental operators only), Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and West Virginia)
- Lotteries (state-run operators or affiliated contracted operators only in Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia)
- Depending on the state, daily fantasy sports may be regulated as gambling in the US, and all daily fantasy sports apps published in the United States are subject to the Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) Apps requirements below.
Developers wishing to release a gambling app on the store will have to go through a stringent application process ensuring they comply with each countries’ laws. They must be “an approved governmental operator” and hold a valid gambling license for each country or state/territory in which the app is distributed.
Additionally, apps must be rated “Adult Only,” be free to download, and not use the Google In-app Billing system.
Masthead image credit: Wpadington