The minimum gambling age in Florida is 18 years for the lottery and bingo, and 21 years for those betting in casinos or the racing tracks. List of Florida Casinos. With nearly 40 locations, there are plenty of Florida casinos to visit and play at. Below you will find a detailed list of the casinos in Florida, including their locations and websites. Laws of Florida. Order - Legistore. Chapter 849 GAMBLING Entire Chapter. No one under 18 years of age shall be allowed to play any bingo game or instant bingo.
Gambling Laws in Florida The minimum gambling age is 18 at all Indian casinos for bingo or poker and 21 for electronic gaming machines. Legal gambling ages across the US vary, with states setting the minimum age at either 18 or 21. This can however change depending on the type of gambling, as well as if you're playing in a Native. In order to gamble in a Florida casino, a player needs to be 21 or older. The legal gambling age in Florida is also mostly dependent on the venue. The law is lenient on as far as saying that should a Florida casino not serve alcohol the players who are 18 and over can gamble in those casinos.
Introduction to Florida Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Florida slot machine casino gambling consists of eight pari-mutuel racetracks in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, seven tribal casinos, senior center amusement arcades, multi-day cruise ships with onboard casinos, and day-long gambling boats.
I’ve dedicated this weekly series to slot enthusiasts such as yourself as you master casino slots and win your way to success by using this State-By-State Online Resource to improve your slots gambling performance by reviewing your state’s slots gaming industry.
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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Florida*
The minimum legal gambling age in Florida depends upon the gambling activity:
- Land-Based Casinos: 21
- Poker Rooms: 18
- Bingo: 18
- Lottery: 18
- Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18
State gaming regulations have authorized slot machines at pari-mutuel wagering racetracks in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. These counties contain the cities of Miami and Fort Lauderdale in southern Florida.
Coin-operated amusement machines at senior center arcades are not slot machines and fall into the same category as pinball machines, shooting galleries, music machines, and video games.
Slot Machine Private Ownership in Florida
In Florida, it is legal to own a slot machine privately if it is at least 20 years old.
Gaming Control Board in Florida
The gaming control commission is the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering within Florida’s Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR).
Overall, the DBPR authorizes, regulates or provides oversight for Florida’s gaming industries of:
- Pari-mutuel wagering at racetracks
- Cardroom games
There are over three dozen pari-mutuel wagering facilities in Florida for which the DBPR is responsible, including the eight sites with slot machines. The DBPR does not regulate bingo, the Florida Lottery, coin-operated amusement machines, or day-long casino boats.
Historically, Florida has a long history of gambling, starting 100 years before gaming became legal. For example, at his first hotel, the Ponce de Leon in St. Augustine in 1888, Henry Flagler created the exclusive and famous Bacchus Club Casino.
Tribal gaming originally arrived in Florida with the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988. With it, Florida’s two federally recognized American Indian tribes opened casinos offering Class II bingo-style gaming.
Eventually, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has negotiated a tribal-state compact allowing them to offer Class III Vegas-style gaming at their seven casinos.
However, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida has not completed their gaming compact negotiations, limiting them to Class II bingo-style gaming machines at their single casino.
Casinos in Florida
There are eight pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines, seven American Indian tribal casinos, and two daily casino cruise ships based in Florida.
The largest casino in Florida is Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa with 5,000 gaming machines.
The second-largest casino is Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood with 3,100 gaming machines.
Commercial Casinos in Florida
Eight pari-mutuel racetrack and wagering sites in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties hosting Miami and Fort Lauderdale offer slot machines, including:
- The Big Easy Casino in Hallandale Beach.
- Calder Casino in Miami Gardens.
- Casino Miami in Miami.
- The Casino @ Dania Beach in Dania Beach.
- Gulfstream Park Casino in Hallandale Beach.
- Hialeah Park Racing & Casino in Hialeah.
- Isle Casino Pompano in Pompano Beach.
- Magic City Casino in Miami.
Tribal Casinos in Florida
The seven tribal casinos are in southern Florida are:
- Miccosukee Resort & Gaming in Miami, 24 miles west of downtown Miami.
- Seminole Casino Brighton, 135 miles south of Orlando.
- Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, 25 miles north of Fort Lauderdale.
- Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee, 35 miles northeast of Naples.
- Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood, 1 mile south of Fort Lauderdale.
- Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, 1 mile south of Fort Lauderdale.
- Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, 80 miles southwest of Orlando.
Other Gambling Establishments
As an alternative to enjoying Florida slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Florida is:
- North: Georgia Slots
- North and West: Alabama Slots
- Southeast: Puerto Rico Slots and U.S. Virgin Islands Slots
(AZ) Arizona Gambling
Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state or territory to Florida.
Besides multi-day cruise ships with onboard casinos sailing to international destinations, there are two day-long casino cruise boats with onboard Vegas-style gaming available in Florida:
- Tropical Breeze Casino in Port Richey, 37 miles northwest of Tampa.
- Victory Casino Cruises in Port Canaveral, 60 miles southeast of Orlando.
Our Florida Slots Facebook Community
Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Florida? If so, join our Florida slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to freely join this closed Facebook Group community.
There, you can meet online and privately share your slots experiences with local slots enthusiasts about playing slot machines in Florida. Join us!
Payouts and Returns in Florida
Florida’s pari-mutuel wagering sites with slot machines in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties have a minimum theoretical payout of 85%. Return statistics by month and commercial casino are publicly available by dividing Credits Out by Credits In and multiplying by 100%.
For October 2020, the monthly player win percentages were:
- The Big Easy: 91.9%
- Calder Casino: 91.1%
- Casino Miami: 92.7%
- The Casino @ Dania Beach: 92.2%
- Gulfstream Park: 91.6%
- Hialeah Park: 94.0%
- Isle Casino Pompano: 90.3%
- Magic City: 93.4%
- All: 92.4%
For October 2020, the highest return, again, went to Hialeah Park, with 94.0%, again closely followed by Magic City at 93.4%. The lowest return, also again, went to Isle Casino It’s return was 90.3%.
Florida’s tribal compacts do not require theoretical payout limits on their slot machines, nor do they required to make return statistics publicly available.
Summary of Florida Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020
Florida slot machine casino gambling consists of eight pari-mutuel racetracks in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties hosting Miami and Fort Lauderdale, seven tribal casinos in southern Florida, senior center arcades with amusement machines, multi-day cruise ships with onboard casinos to international destinations, and several day-long gambling boats which sail to international waters before gambling can commence.
Annual Progress in Florida Slot Machine Casino Gambling
In the last year, Seminole Casino Immokalee has slipped from second largest casino in Florida all the way to sixth place. Why? Because it did not increase in slot machines as had four other once smaller casinos.
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Other States from Professor Slots
- Previous: District of Columbia Slot Machine Casino Gambling
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Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC
Despite Florida’s huge gambling market, customers are limited to just seven tribal casinos and various horse tracks and (now-defunct) dog tracks that operate as card rooms.
In fact, this latter aspect of the FL gambling industry has caused the state to be in violation of its exclusivity compact with the Seminole Tribe, who had a favorable ruling in federal court that annulled their casino profit-sharing obligations. This has cost the state over $400 million per year since 2019, when the tribe stopped paying. Since then, all expanded gambling measures in FL have hinged on the renewal of that Seminole compact.
Fortunately, as a bettor or gambler in FL, you don’t have to be stuck in the middle while the state government is a stick in the mud. That’s because you are free to legally gamble anytime – in any market – by visiting legal Florida online casinos.
Whether you’re a casino player, sports betting fan, or poker player, if you’re looking for high-quality and safe gaming experience, you can get one by visiting any legitimate Florida online gambling site a shot. However, before you consider participating in Internet gambling, we suggest you review the information concerning Florida online gambling laws.
Below, we address the details of Florida betting law as it pertains to both brick-and-mortar and online gambling. To learn more about all FL laws concerning casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms, our short guide has everything under the sun for residents of the Sunshine State.
Other Florida Gambling Pages
Where Does Florida Stand On Legal Online Casino Gambling?
Florida has recently banned “Internet cafes” that were operating as unregulated online casinos, though the state’s view towards online gaming in general doesn’t appear to be antagonistic.
However, there are significant hurdles due to the fact that FL casino gambling is the exclusive domain of the Seminole and Miccosukee tribal nations. This means that the state cannot unilaterally expand gambling online without the tribes’ involvement and approval. Talks are ongoing, but they are moving at a snail’s pace.
In the meantime, it is legal for FL residents to gamble online at legitimate offshore casinos. These venues operate outside of US jurisdiction, and there are no FL gambling laws or federal gambling laws that bar access to these destinations. Over an estimated one million FL gamblers already use these sites and have been members at them for over a generation.
Naturally, FL would like to put itself in a position to bring some of these customers back into the domestic gaming fold, but no iGaming legislation has made its way through the state congress to date.
That said, the state does appear to be moving towards allowing tribal brick-and-mortar casinos to offer the two casino games they’re currently unable to provide: craps and roulette. While the 2020 legislative session concluded without any such gambling legislation being passed, there is enough momentum that the issue is likely to be revisited in 2021.
Where Does Florida Stand On Legal Online Sports Betting?
Bookmaking is a serious offense under Florida law. However, you’re a sports bettor, not a bookie, and there are no laws barring individual FL residents from betting on sports online provided they use a legitimately licensed offshore operator.
To reiterate: The existing laws surrounding sports betting in FL target bookmakers and not players, and they address unregulated gaming operators specifically.
Legally licensed and regulated online sports betting is not prohibited as long as those operators are based internationally outside of US jurisdiction. Fortunately, there are several high quality, safe, and legitimate Florida online sportsbooks to choose from.
As for when Florida will make domestic sports betting legal so that operators in the state can offer betting lines on all the most popular college and pro teams in the region, that remains to be seen.
Right now, the Seminole Tribe of Florida is exercising its leverage with exclusive gaming rights to prevent commercial sportsbooks from operating in the region. To make any progress on the domestic sports gambling front, the state will likely have to give sports betting exclusivity to the Seminole. And even then, it’s unclear whether or not that would include online sports betting.
Where Does Florida Stand On Legal Online Poker?
Online poker is becoming increasingly popular in FL. The Sunshine State does not specifically prohibit online poker at the individual level, but there are laws against online poker operators that are based in the state. Recently, there have been attempts to legalize online poker in FL, though this has gotten nowhere.
Legal Age In Florida State
In fact, when the state approved non-house-banked poker at non-tribal FL venues, it violated the Seminole Tribe’s exclusivity compact, and fixing this is now the biggest gambling issue before the FL legislature. Online poker won’t be addressed until long after this issue is resolved.
Meanwhile, there are a number of legal Florida online poker rooms which operate and are regulated outside of the United States. As long as you’re at least 18 and live in FL, you can use these online poker rooms to play for and win real money.
We do stress that being selective in choosing the brands to which you will bring your business is paramount in accessing a safe and secure online gambling experience, which is why you need to read our above-linked Florida online poker guide.
Florida Gambling Laws
There are a number of Florida gambling laws to be aware of, but the long and short of it is that the following markets are currently legal in a domestic operator capacity:
- Tribal casino gaming (21+ Class III, 18+ Class II)
- Horse racing betting (18+)
- Greyhound betting (18+, expires Dec. 31, 2020)
- Jai Alai betting (18+)
- Cardroom poker (age limit varies)
- State lottery (18+)
- Charitable gambling (18+)
If you sign up with an online operator that is based overseas and is regulated and certified to offer gambling opportunities to FL players, you can enjoy all the following markets over the Internet legally and safely:
- Casino gambling (18+)
- Sports betting (18+)
- Online poker (18+)
- Horse racing betting (18+)
- Greyhound racing (18+)
- Online lotteries (18+)
In addition to FL gambling laws, there are two federal gambling laws to be aware of. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) places stringent regulatory oversight on how online gambling-related transactions are processed, which is why we recommend Bitcoin gambling for deposits and withdrawals when playing offshore (as the UIGEA can lead to credit/debit card rejections).
There is also the Federal Wire Act to consider, though this applies only to sports betting and prevents FL residents from having their sports bets accepted by sportsbooks in other states.
Neither law prohibits online gambling for FL residents at operators based outside of the United States, so as long as you are playing at an online casino, sportsbook, poker room, racebook, or bingo hall that is legally licensed in its own home country, you are in the clear.
FL Gambling Law Guide Summary
The online gambling professionals who created this guide consider it critical that FL players have access to accurate and up-to-date information regarding the online gambling laws in Florida.
Throughout this guide, we only recommend gambling brands which are legally licensed, certified, and regulated by respected and legitimate governing jurisdictions. This is true for the online casinos, Florida online bingo halls, and the poker rooms and sports betting sites we list in this guide.
To review the official gambling laws for Florida in their original language, you’ll want to visit the Florida State Legislature website, which provides these laws and statutes in their entirety. That source does not provide any legal interpretation of the laws, however. If legal FL gambling advice is what you’re looking for, then contacting an attorney is your best option.
***The information on this page is intended to reflect our educated opinions and analyses based on personal experience as industry professionals. It is not intended in any way to serve as legal advice. We are not lawyers and are not qualified to provide professional legal advice in any capacity.