Concerning gambling, Florida is one of the more interesting sections of the US, as it has a diverse and uniquely complex gaming landscape, which is probably going to get another seismic shift as the Seminole Tribe of Florida is likely to reassert its dominance over online gambling and sports betting in the Sunshine State. That is about to happen thanks to an eight-to-one vote in Florida’s Senate Regulated Industries Committee that passed Senate Bill 1404, a law that reinforces the Seminole Tribe’s 2021 compact that grants them exclusive sports betting rights via the Hard Rock Bet brand. It also makes offering internet sports wagering without tribal approval a third-degree felony.
Nonetheless, the bill sees two additional Senate committees, and another vital aspect of this law is that it looks to curtail online sweepstakes platforms, as it defines remote/internet gambling as wagering money for something of value in a game where outcomes are determined by chance. The bill, sponsored by Senator Corey Simon, is a push by the state to centralize gambling revenue under the Seminole Tribe and possibly extend its reach into online casinos. Suppose the bill successfully goes through the following Senate committees. In that case, it will also make individuals partaking in online betting and gaming at non-Seminole-run hubs guilty of a second-degree misdemeanor offense. Consequently, this bill seeks to curb sweepstakes or social casinos that use virtual site/app currency models to circumvent gambling laws.
Unlike those in Atlantic City or Las Vegas, no commercial gaming establishments in Florida. Hence, casino gambling in this part of the US is confined to tribal, Native American lands. The Seminole Tribe is the key player in the state, one allowed to operate Class III games. This is not the case in many other US territories, where tribal operators can only supply Class II products, primarily VLT (video lottery terminals) machines.
