Florida bills would toughen up illegal gambling definitions

Ahead of the start of Florida’s legislative session, a pair of bills are looking to enforce stricter punishments for illegal gambling in the Sunshine State and, in doing so, reiterate the Seminole Tribe’s exclusive position.

Rep. Webster Barnaby’s House Bill 953 and Sen. Corey Simon’s Senate Bill 1404 would make it a third-degree felony for anyone other than the Seminole Tribe to operate an online casino or online sportsbook in Florida. In Florida, that level of crime is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Anyone found guilty of using an online casino or online sportsbook not owned by the tribe would be charged with a first or second-degree misdemeanor.

The Seminole Tribe holds online gambling exclusivity in the state and has operated online sports betting via Hard Rock Bet since December 2023. It has successfully defended in court its right to offer the sole online sports betting platforms via a compact with the state.

Ostensibly, the new pair of bills would seem to reiterat..