Republican state senator Clay Yarborough has filed a new gambling reform package, called SB 1164, aimed at tightening penalties for illegal gaming in Florida.If passed,...
Florida takes action against illegal iGaming operations
Florida is combatting illegal online gambling by ordering three overseas operators, BetUS, Bovada, and MyBookie, to stop targeting local players, with the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) sending cease-and-desist letters to their parent companies and warning that unlicensed gambling is strictly banned in the state.
These websites offer sports betting, casino games, and horse racing without state approval. Florida law allows only a few legal casinos and just one online sportsbook, Hard Rock Bet, run by the Seminole Tribe.
Illegal gambling doesn’t just break the law; it also harms Florida’s economy. Licensed casinos and sportsbooks contribute millions to public programs, including education and infrastructure. Meanwhile, illegal operations earn huge income yet don’t pay taxes and put players at risk.
Ross Marshman, the Executive Director of the FGCC, commented:
“Gaming, both land-based and online, is strictly regulated in Florida. For example, when it comes to slot machine gaming, counting the eight legal, state-licensed slot machine businesses and the six tribal gaming locations currently operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, there are only fourteen legal slot machine businesses in Florida. The only online sportsbook operating lawfully in Florida is the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Hard Rock Bet. Anyone in Florida betting on the Big Game needs to know this. Bettor beware.”
Florida isn’t alone in this fight. Other states, including Michigan and New Hampshire, have also taken strict measures against illegal operations, trying to create a competitive market for the operators and a safer gambling environment for the players.
The Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) has conducted enforcement action against three businesses in northeast Florida and seized more than 230 illegal slot machines.
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