Legal Florida Sports Betting. Florida moved one step closer in 2021 to state-regulated sports betting when Senator Jeff Brandes (R St. Petersburg) pre-filed Senate Bill 392, which seeks to “authorizing certain persons to place wagers on a sports event under certain circumstances”. The main motivation for Florida to legalize sports betting is tax revenue. The proposed bill would net the state 15% of all revenue and charge each sportsbook a $100,000 licensing fee. Challenges Facing Florida Sports Betting. Should sports betting clear, it would give Florida much-needed tax revenue. The economy has taken a major hit due to. Some of the top Florida betting sites are good for real money sports betting, but their mobile casino options leave something to be desired. BetOnline offers a good selection of mobile casino games for FL players, and I like the efficient, straightforward functionality.

The Sunshine State has seen a ton of growth in the gambling realm over the past handful of years with the expansion of brick and mortar casino and poker action all the way from down south in the 305 through the Mickey Mouse corridor and up to the panhandle that feels it deserves its own time zone. We love you panhandle.

The one area that still is lacking, though, are brick and mortar sportsbooks. Current count = 0. But if you’re looking for a way to bet on sports in Florida, you have options, thanks to the best online Florida sports betting sites and Florida betting apps.

Our team has researched and narrowed down the safest and most reliable online bookies for Florida residents. Here are our top picks to get you into the real money Florida sports betting action right away:

The Top 3 Florida Sportsbooks Online

1. MyBookie – Best Overall Florida Sports Betting Site

• Welcome bonuses often come with free bets
• Live in-play betting on all major sports
• Casino and racebook action available through one account
• Unique sports betting contests like survivor pools and squares

2. BetNow – Best Florida Sportsbook for In-Play Betting Options

• One of the most robust in-game betting platforms on the market
• Variable sign-up bonuses with rollover requirements from 5x-10x
• Annual $1,00,000 college basketball bracket challenge
• Weekly NBA, NFL, and MLB contests

3. Bovada – Best for Multiple Ways to Bet (Poker, Casino, Racebook, and Sports)

• Options to bet sports in Florida, as well as action on casino games, a racebook, and poker
• Rewards and loyalty program where you can redeem points for cash
• Great track record with customer care since founding in 2011
• Deposits available in Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, VISA, Mastercard, American Express, Union Pay, Zelle, and through transfer vouchers

Feature Comparison – MyBookie vs. BetNow vs. Bovada

How to Bet On Sports in Florida – 3 Options

Use Florida Sports Betting Sites Online

The easiest and most straightforward method to bet on sports online in Florida is using FL sports betting sites. You can also download Florida sports betting apps right to your phone. Super convenient!

You can make bets in real-time from your phone without ever leaving the beach, the theme parks, or the mile-long line to get a Publix sub.

Heck, if you don’t want to leave the house, you don’t even have to put your flip flops on if you don’t want to. The best Florida online sportsbooks are the premier option for real money sports betting in the state.

Take a Sports Betting Cruise

Before land-based casinos started popping up in the state of Florida, casino cruises were your only in-person betting option. And while you now have an option for casino action, the cruises still hold one leg up over the brick and mortar establishments—sports betting.

If you’re dead-set on in-person Florida sports gambling, a casino or sports betting cruise could be an option. Typically, these cruises sail from the major ports in the state and go into international waters for a few hours to let people gamble. As long as you don’t get seasick and are able to get a spot (they get busy), it can be fun.

Victory Casino Cruise Line – Port Canaveral, FL

Located across the bridge just north of Melbourne Beach and Patrick Air Force Base is Port Canaveral. This is where the Victory cruise line docks and sails out with its regularly scheduled casino cruises. If you happen to live in one of the neighboring areas, you may be able to snag a free shuttle ride from the company.

In addition to regular sports betting, there are special events in the Victory Casino Cruises Sportsbook Lounge, like Super Bowl parties and tailgates.

Drive to Mississippi

The validity of this solution depends on where you live in Florida and how much you can stand I-10, I-95, and I-75. They’re not as terrible as I-4, but they’re not always the most relaxing of driving. Now that we’ve gotten the Florida road bashing out of the way, let’s talk about this option.

Currently, there are no brick and mortar sportsbooks in the state of Florida, Georgia, or Alabama. The closest option you have is to drive to Biloxi, Mississippi. If you live in the panhandle, that’s not that bad.

However, the farther east and farther south you get in the state of Florida, the farther that drive gets.

• Tallahassee to Biloxi is 304.3 miles via I-10 (4 hours and 25 minutes)
• Gainesville to Biloxi is 450.8 miles via I-10 (6 hours and 47 minutes)
• Orlando to Biloxi is 557.6 miles via I-10 (7 hours and 53 minutes)
• Tampa Bay to Biloxi is 575.7 miles via I-75 and I-10 (8 hours and 2 minutes)
• West Palm Beach to Biloxi is 717.7 miles via the Turnpike and I-10 (10 hours and 5 minutes)
• Miami to Biloxi is 783.4 miles via the Turnpike and I-10 (10 hours and 59 minutes)

Is Betting Online in Florida Legal?

At the close of last year, Florida introduced several pieces of legislature to begin regulating sports betting through the state’s lottery program. S968, S970, and S972 aim to set out the parameters and guidelines for betting in the state as well as the requirements to earn a license. Licenses would cost $100,000 for providers, and holders would be responsible for a 15% revenue tax. Online betting is included in the legislation.

In 2018, the federal government passed legislation removing roadblocks for states to lay out their own guidelines and frameworks for regulated sports betting within their state limits.

Additionally, in the most recent election, Florida voters moved the power to fully legalize and regulate Florida online sports betting out of the hands of legislators and into the hands of the state’s residents.

Because of Amendment 3, Florida voters now control “casino gambling” within the state. We put the exact wording in quotes because there is the debate on whether sports betting falls under the heading of casino gambling, as many would argue it’s a game of skill.

In other words, the legality of online betting in Florida is a gray area. We’d hope to get more clarity in the coming months or years from the state legislature, but nothing is guaranteed.

Are these sites legal? Again, it’s a gray area and two separate discussions—the legality for the site operators and the legality for the bettors. While you’ll need to contact a gaming attorney for a full breakdown (their opinion) of the situation, we can provide this information for color. To date, zero Florida residents or visitors have been in any legal trouble for using Florida online betting sites to our knowledge.

What Parts of Florida Are Most Interested in Sports Betting?

According to Google Trends, the metro in Florida with the most search traffic for information about sports betting is the Tampa-St. Petersburg area.

Coming in second, with about 80% of the volume of the Tampa area, is Miami-Ft. Lauderdale. And rounding out the podium finishers is the Orlando-Daytona Beach area with about half the search volume as the Tampa area.

Here’s the top 10 list over the past 12 months in the state of Florida:

1. Tampa-St. Petersburg (Sarasota) FL
2. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale FL
3. Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne FL
4. Gainesville FL
5. West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce FL
6. Myers-Naples FL
7. Tallahassee FL-Thomasville GA
8. Jacksonville FL
9. Mobile AL-Pensacola (Ft. Walton Beach) FL
10. Panama City FL

Professional Sports in Florida – Teams and Popularity Data

While you aren’t required only to bet on Florida teams at these Florida betting sites, it tends to be one of the more popular pastimes, especially with recreational bettors. Additionally, what we have found is that states with more prevalent professional sports markets have a much more flourishing and exciting sports betting community.

Sports Betting App Florida Tech

Currently, Florida has 10 professional sports teams. The state did have a few more MLS teams a few years back, but lack of interest forced some of those teams to fold.

Speaking of interest, what are the most popular sports to bet on in Florida? What are the most popular sports? While there’s limited data available about what people are betting on, there are some ways we can determine which professional sports in FL are the most popular.

One of the ways we like to do this is by looking at how well professional sports teams in the state can fill their stadiums or arenas. Based on average attendance numbers aggregated for each professional sporting league over a recent season, here are the most popular sports in the state of Florida in order:

Here are some other key takeaways from the data study:

• The Miami Dolphins had the best average attendance capacity percentage over the studied season at 101.20%.
• The Miami Marlins didn’t fare as well. The team had the lowest average attendance capacity percentage over the studied season at 26.70%.
• In the NFL, average capacity percentages ranked the teams in order—the Dolphins first, the Jags second, and the Buccaneers third. However, this may change with all the new talent the Bucs have brought to the Tampa area.

For those interested, here is the raw data:

Sports Betting Applications

Get Started Using Florida Sports Betting Sites Now!

FAQs About Online Sports Betting in Florida

Florida sports betting still isn’t legal – but we’re fully expecting the legalization of online betting in the Sunshine State to come soon.

However, while there have been lots of discussions taking place on the subject of legal sports betting, it’s unfortunate that most of these take place behind the scenes. Because of this, it can be very hard for the average sports bettor to know where they stand.

The biggest hurdle to overcome is that sports wagering in the state of Florida has to coincide with a gambling agreement between two parties: the Seminole Tribe and the state itself.

Recently, there have been a pair of legislative sessions. At these sessions, the tribe and the leaders of the state legislature got together to chat about a possible deal that would allow Florida casinos to start accepting sports bets.

Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic meant that the 2020 discussion was halted in March, and no agreement was settled on regarding Florida sports betting.

That said, there are still positive signs. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the future of Florida sports betting, and we’ll also be showing you how Florida sports bettors can place bets in the meantime.

Online Sports Betting In Florida

Top 5 Sportsbooks

For the moment, Floridians have to be content to use offshore sportsbooks that are legal to U.S. citizens. And while it’s really important that you abide by state laws, we are aware that some bettors use VPNs to access specific sports betting sites.

How Online Sports Betting Works In Florida

Florida Sports Betting Launch

In the November election 2018, the legislature lost control of any changes to gambling in Florida after the Seminole intervened. This meant that, if sports betting in Florida was ever to become legal, future legislatures would have to work with the Seminole.

In 2019, the Florida legislature focused their efforts on renegotiating the gaming impact. Simpson was tasked by Senate President Bill Galvano to work side by side with the Seminoles and he managed to work out an early agreement with them. However, the deal was refused by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Subsequently, the Seminole said they would withhold their $350,000,000 annual payments to the state.

In 2020, legislators began the year by suggesting they would try to legalize Florida sports betting without the help of the Seminole. A bill was authorized that would allow the state to regulate sports betting without the need for the tribe to get involved.

The Seminole, however, continued to dig their heels in, and the bill got nowhere. As of March 13, there were further discussions behind the scenes about the future of Florida sports betting, but they got nowhere, too.

As it stands, then, we’re still awaiting an outcome and can only hope that any disputes between the Seminole and the legislature are resolved soon.

How To Bet On Sports

If you’ve never placed a bet before, the good news is that wagering on sports is really simple. In fact, it can be done in just a few steps:

• Choose a legal sportsbook that’s right for you
• Create an account and make your first deposit
• Grab the welcome bonus
• Take a look at the sports and find a sport you like
• Take a look at the sporting events and markets
• Choose a bet
• Consider the odds – is there value here?
• Enter a stake
• Confirm your bet

What Can You Bet On Right Now In Florida?

At the moment, you can only place bets via an offshore betting site within the state that’s available to U.S. citizens. As mentioned earlier, we know that some Florida bettors use VPNs in order to access these sites legally.

However, because betting in the state itself hasn’t yet been legalized, the sports you can bet on remain up in the air.

That said, betting on all professional sports is legal across America. Where the waters get muddier is with college teams, as each state has different rules regarding what you can bet on. To play it safe, we suggest sticking with pro sports.

Here is a rundown of the pro sports you can bet on:

• American football
• Athletics
• Aussie Rules
• Badminton
• Bandy
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Beach volleyball
• Bowls
• Boxing
• Chess
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Darts
• eSports
• Fishing
• Soccer
• Formula 1
• GAA
• Golf
• Greyhounds
• Handball
• Hockey
• Horse racing
• Ice hockey
• MMA/UFC
• Motorsports
• Netball
• Pool
• Rugby league
• Rugby union
• Snooker
• Table tennis
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• WWE

What Sports Betting Options Are Available At Florida Sportsbooks?

• Moneyline bet: The moneyline bet is the most popular bet among U.S. bettors. It’s really simple: All you have to do is pick the team/individual who you think will win a particular match.
• Point Spread: The point spread bet is similar to the moneyline bet, but it comes with a twist: As well as winning the match, the specific team/individual you bet on must always win by a set number of points. For example, if you bet on the Bills to beat the Cardinals by -5 points, the Bills must win by 5 clear points. If they win by 3 or 4, you won’t win the bet. The point spread is harder to get right than the moneyline bet, but the payouts are bigger.
• Over/under bet: Before a match starts, the sportsbook will set a total number of points for a specific statistic in a game. Usually, this is the combined score. For example, if the Lakers are playing the Clippers, the sportsbook might set the total number of points at 190.5. You then need to decide whether you think the true outcome will be over or under.

Taking Advantage of Bonuses and Rewards

All sportsbooks offer bonuses and rewards. However, they vary from sportsbook to sportsbook, which is why it’s really important that you do your research before signing up.

Bonuses and rewards to look out for include the welcome bonus. This is usually a match bonus that matches a percentage of your first deposit with free money. For example, MyBookie is currently offering a 50% welcome bonus up to $1,000. This means if you deposit $200, you’ll get an extra $100 on top.

Other bonuses to look out for include reload bonuses, which match your subsequent deposits, and rebates. Rebates offer you a percentage back as free bets on your losses on specific sports.

Make sure to also look out for VIP programs as these offer perks, such as free bets and more rebates. To qualify for VIP programs, you just need to be a regular bettor.

Florida Sports Betting FAQ

Is Sports Betting Legal In Florida?

Sports betting is currently illegal in Florida.

When Can Florida Residents Start Placing Bets?

It’s hard to say at this stage when Florida residents will be able to start placing legal wagers. This is because the tribal casino regulations are so far presenting a major hurdle that the legislature has been unable to overcome.

There is a chance that tribal casinos will launch sportsbooks, but this may not happen until 2021 at the earliest now.

Why Is Florida Sports Betting Still Illegal?

As mentioned, the biggest stumbling block is the Seminole Tribe. Because they enjoy so much success with their casino games in the state, they don’t want to sacrifice a number of their profits to sports betting. If sports betting was legalized, it’s almost certain that Florida residents would play casino games less.

Is Mobile Sports Betting Available In Florida?

No.

Can I Use DraftKings Sportsbook In Florida?

DraftKings sportsbook is legal in a number of U.S. states, but at the time of writing, it is illegal in the sunshine state. This also means you cannot play daily fantasy sports in the state of Florida.

Final Word On Sports Betting In Florida

We eagerly await the day sports betting is legal in Florida. For now, sports fans in the sunshine state will have to wait a little longer. But keep checking this page for information, and we hope to have some good news for you soon.