Other than California, Florida might have the most potential for a boom after mass legalization from sports betting. A huge industry, sports wagering is all the rage around the country and has been legalized in a variety of states across the eastern seaboard. Following the largest budget in the history of the Sunshine State being signed into law, $112.1 billion according to bookies.com, there is a big appetite to see if gaming can add to this.
For the latest news then it comes to gaming in the state of Florida, SBS has your back with a roundup of the latest updates from the Sunshine State.
Featured in a recent spotlight from bookies.com and Bill Speros, a major gaming compact remains in a judicial no-man’s land after being passed during a special session in Spring of 2021. This legal compact centering around legal online sports betting in Florida is awaiting a second chance in the U.S. Court of Appeals after it was nullified by a U.S. District Court Judge. This next upcoming deadline in the appeals courts process comes on Monday. According to this same spotlight article, many in the Florida legal community and some who supported the compact as written knew that this “hub and spoke” approach to sports betting was a long shot at best.
The main initiative that was pushed for and eventually halted the compact came from two fronts. One was from a lawsuit filed by a group that included the “No Casinos” coalition. The other was filed by the West Flagler Associates, owners of the Magic City Casino in Miami. For this particular initiative, the “No Casinos” group got Amendment 3 passed back in 2018. This law prohibits the expansion of “casino gambling” in the state of Florida without 60% approval from the public in a state-wide election. However, there is nothing that goes over “sports betting,” which was legalized nationwide by the Supreme Court after the amendment was originally drafted but before it was passed according to the same bookies.com report.
In the same spotlight from bookies.com and also a breakdown from the New York Post, many have pointed out that these gaming proposals in Florida have had their speed bumps along the way. For instance, while the gaming compact between the Seminole Tribe and Florida languished in a federal court, another coalition called the Florida Education Champions pushed to get a measure on the 2022 state ballot legalizing mobile and on-site sports betting. According to the article, this initiative was “doomed from the start” given that signature gathering did not begin until June of 2021. Major gaming companies like DraftKings and FanDuel spent more than $36 million on this effort which still fell more than 370,000 signatures short of the number needed to get on the ballot.
Many have also pointed out in these two updates that unless the initial 2021 compact is upheld on an appeal in federal court, it could be nearly impossible to see a path to legal mobile sports betting in Florida before 2025. Also until the current compact’s status is finalized in court, any attempt at trying to pass a new compact would have nuked the prior compact in court. So with those looking for a speedy resolution in federal court one way or another, they might have to take a seat and wait this one out.
With so many different updates and news coming out of Florida, SBS has you covered with our guide on everything relating to sports gambling in Florida. This breakdown features all the legally available Florida betting sites along with some fantastic information on the latest bonuses, odds and promotions. With Florida being such an on-the-go kind of state, another great resource to look at would be our SBS breakdown guide on the finest wagering apps.
Finally, another spectacular overall resource to familiarize yourself with is the SBS rundown on VIP betting. Here, you will be able to learn all about the benefits of VIP online sports betting and how the whole process works. Could this be the right route for you? Only one way to find out.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
Read Chris's ProfileAsk Chris about this guide:
