You can only make horseracing bets legally in Florida at the moment. Pari-mutuel bets on harness horse racing, quarter-horse racing, and cardroom poker games are allowed. In the counties of Miami-Dade and Broward, slot machine gaming at pari-mutuel venues is authorized.
Tampa Bay Downs, Gulfstream Park, and Gulfstream Park West are the best-known thoroughbred racetracks in Florida. Gulfstream Park hosts a few crucial prep events for the Triple Crown races in the Derby, the Fountain of Youth Stakes, and the Holy Bull Stakes.
Quarter-horse racing is available at Hialeah Park, which opened exactly a century ago. The Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering regulates horse betting in the state.
Sites like BetAmerica, TwinSpires, and TVG allow online horse betting in Florida.
The Sunshine State used to have 11 greyhound racetracks, but dog racing became illegal in 2021.
Betting on Sports in Florida
There are no legitimate sportsbook websites that accept wagers within state lines. You can bet on illegal offshore websites at your own risk. These operators can’t be expected to pay out winnings and can well disappear with your funds.
Placing wagers with a licensed operator is the only safe way to bet on sports in Florida and in the US in general.
Another option is betting on Jai alai at a pari-mutuel venue in Florida. This sport is not unlike racquetball. Players throw hard rubber balls at high speeds using curved baskets strapped to their hands. The game is played on a three-wall court.
Popular Sports to bet on in the Future
Once Florida sports betting becomes legal, there’s little doubt it will be a hit. The state is home to at least 21 million people, making it the third-most populous in the country. It will be possible to place bets on major leagues like the NFL and the NBA, among others.
NFL Betting
NFL betting attracts the most interest of all leagues. Florida has three very valuable and popular NFL teams: the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Jacksonville Jaguars. Tom Brady’s transfer to the Buccaneers generated unseen excitement.
MLB Betting
Baseball is popular in Florida with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Miami Marlins, two Major League Baseball teams. Florida hosts Spring Training of the Grapefruit League.
NBA Betting
Florida is home to the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic, which attract a lot of interest. The basketball league has always been popular for in-play or in-game betting because of the dynamic action.
NHL Betting
Florida has two NHL teams: Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. Tampa Bay is a very strong team who has won the Stanley Cup in the past.
NCAA Betting
Florida also has the Miami Hurricanes, Florida State Seminoles, and the Florida Gators: three excellent college football teams. The state government is expected to allow betting on in-state college teams and benefit from tax revenue.
Retail Sportsbooks in Florida
The state and the Seminole Tribe have a compact that mentions retail sportsbooks. The Seminoles own and run six casinos in the state. Some of the bigger ones will probably have an onsite sportsbook when sports betting in Florida starts. Those casinos include:
- Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa
- Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood
- Seminole Casino, Coconut Creek
- Seminole Casino Hotel, Immokalee
- Seminole Classic Casino, Hollywood
- Seminole Casino Brighton, Okeechobee
Sportsbooks will open at pari-mutuel racing venues like Tampa Bay Downs if the venues and the Seminoles enter a partnership according to the 30-year compact.
Daily Fantasy Sports betting
FanDuel and DraftKings operate in Florida. Lawmakers tried to impose regulations on DFS but ran out of time. The operators are against licensing because they’ll have to stop working while they wait for a permit. The Seminole Tribe is also against legalizing DFS.