Florida Online Poker

When it comes to poker in the US, Florida currently ranks alongside Nevada, California and New Jersey as one of the poker capitals.

Especially since 2010, when Florida lawmakers removed betting restrictions to allow the state’s card rooms to offer no-limit games. The Sunshine State became a genuine poker hotspot with dozens of active brick-and-mortar poker rooms.

Legal Poker in Florida. There is no law stating the specific legality or illegality of online poker in Florida. Quite a bit of gambling has been going on in Florida for nearly a century. Florida is starting to develop a large and successful online poker industry. It’s very easy to never come across any issues while playing poker online. Sometimes, however, new online poker players can find themselves getting into trouble. Below, you’ll find a quick guide to stay safe while playing poker. There has been some movement in recent years to give players some hope. However, Florida online poker legalization may be a few years off. In 2020, the legislature seemed to be considering online sports betting, but the session ended in March without any agreement. That also didn’t include online poker, but that could at least offer some headway in legalizing online gaming in general.

The main restriction when it comes to gambling in Florida for the time being is online gambling. Bills for online gambling have already been introduced, and with the progressively more relaxed legislation in this State, the realisation of legalised online gambling, or online poker at least, doesn’t seem like such a. Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Poker Room. Operated by: Seminole Tribe of Florida. Put on your big boy pants and hold that poker face to play at one of the biggest rooms in the state. The newly-expanded (2019) Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Poker Room includes 46 new tables of non-smoking, 24/7.

As the third-most populated state in the US, Florida would seem like a good candidate to support real money poker sites as well. But even though Florida lawmakers have occasionally discussed that possibility, there hasn’t been any progress yet to make Florida online poker a reality.

This Florida poker guide includes past and present discussions of online poker, a look at sweepstakes poker sites and their relevance to Florida poker. We also review current Florida poker laws, including their application to home games and a list of all the state’s card rooms.

Finally, we consider the potential for real-money, legal and regulated online poker to come to Florida.

Global Poker offers online poker in Florida

Is online poker legal in Florida?

No, online poker is not currently legal in Florida. Neither is online casino.

Lawmakers have considered legalizing online poker in the past, including in 2011, when online gambling bills were introduced in the state House and Senate. While those bills failed to pass, the topic remained alive over the next two years, kept so in part by Delaware legalizing online gambling in 2012, and Nevada and New Jersey following suit in 2013.

Discussions about online poker discontinued in 2014, however, when then-Gov. Rick Scott made known his support of a ban on all types of online gambling, both in his state and on a federal level. Scott’s announcement essentially quelled any further legislative movement until he left office in early 2019 after winning election to the US Senate.

Scott’s successor, fellow Republican Rick DeSantis, was less vocal about gambling-related issues during his gubernatorial campaign. Although, when asked, he expressed opposition to online gambling expansion. DeSantis had something else in common with Scott in that he also received financial backing from billionaire gaming magnate and significant GOP donor Sheldon Adelson, the late CEO of Las Vegas Sands and a fierce opponent of online gambling.

In the same 2018 election in which DeSantis was elected governor, Floridians approved a constitutional amendment giving citizens the right to vote on any future legislation affecting casino gambling in the state. That meant voters, and not legislators, would get to decide about the building of new casinos and/or the legalization of sports betting going forward.

The amendment makes passing any casino-related legislation potentially more difficult. It requires a lengthier and more complicated process.

Meanwhile, the state and the Seminole Tribe have been involved in lengthy and contentious negotiations over the renewal of their compact, which further complicates the landscape of gambling legislation.

The complexity of that situation has, so far, prevented Florida from joining the wave of states that have introduced sports betting since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling lifted the federal prohibition in May 2018.

All these factors suggest that progress on several other fronts would need to occur first before the topic of online poker in Florida is taken up again.

Will Florida regulate online poker?

There isn’t any momentum at present to suggest an online poker bill will be advancing through the legislative process any time soon.

In fact, current Florida law describes illegal gambling in such a way as to suggest gambling online, including playing online poker, is prohibited.

“Whoever plays or engages in any game at cards, keno, roulette, faro or other games of chance, at any place, by any device whatsoever, for money or other thing of value, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree,” reads the statute.

Much of Florida will need to balance competing priorities and interests before pursuing sports betting. That same balance will no doubt need to be addressed before Florida will be able to legalize and regulate online gambling, including online poker.

If the state does legalize online poker in FL, it will likely be the Florida Lottery that will serve as the regulating body. It has been cited to perform a similar function over mobile sports betting in past proposed bills.

What are sweepstakes poker sites?

Sweepstakes online poker sites operate within states’ sweepstakes laws to provide poker players an alternative way to play online.

A popular example is the site Global Poker, which welcomes players from every state — except Washington, where the state law prohibits sweepstakes sites.

Sweepstakes online poker sites are unlike real-money sites in that users play the games using virtual currencies rather than cash.

For example, Global Poker uses two virtual currencies: gold coins and sweeps coins.

Players purchase gold coins with which they can play gold coins-only cash games and tournaments. In other words, gold coins are essentially “play money.”

However, by purchasing gold coins, players receive sweeps coins as a bonus. They can also obtain sweeps coins in other ways, such as via Facebook giveaways or by writing to Global Poker and requesting them.

Sweeps players can use coins on sweeps coins-specific cash games and tournaments in which they can collect more sweeps coins.

After accumulating a minimum amount of sweeps coins, players can then redeem them for US dollars and withdraw the money.

Sweepstakes-style online casinos operate in Florida as well, such as Chumba Casino.

It is worth noting that Florida’s sweepstakes laws do impose certain restrictions that cause some sweepstakes sites to operate differently in Florida than they do elsewhere.

What about offshore poker sites? Are they safe?

Without any legal real-money online poker options in Florida, some players in the state turn to so-called offshore poker sites that are operating outside of the US and serve American players.

While those who play on these sites aren’t likely to face legal repercussions, they are, nonetheless, taking significant risks when they do.

Ever since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, these non-US sites have been forced to find creative ways to allow Americans to deposit and withdraw funds. That’s because the UIGEA prohibits American banks and financial service providers from allowing transactions to and from non-US gambling sites.

Some of these “rogue” sites are licensed and regulated in other countries, but not all of them.

Regardless, US players are in an awkward position should they ever encounter any problems regarding game integrity or the security of their funds.

It has happened that some offshore sites have closed and made off with players’ money, in which case American players don’t have any legal recourse to try to recover their funds. Also, those who suspect cheating, collusion, ghosting, multi-accounting or other types of fraud generally have to trust the sites will respond to their complaints. If they do not, the players don’t have any legal avenues available to them.

By contrast, legal, licensed and regulated real-money sites are required to monitor the games and prohibit any fraudulent activity. They also must ensure the safety of players’ funds to operate, making them much more preferable to offshore sites.

Florida poker laws

Florida has an interesting history when it comes to its poker laws.

Is Online Poker Legal In Florida

While the state has been open to legal poker for decades, for much of its early history, lawmakers sought to keep the games small by placing limits on the amount of money players could risk while playing.

In 1989, Florida lawmakers legalized low-stakes home poker games.

The new law specifically allowed so-called “penny-ante” games to be played in private residences as long as the pot for each hand did not exceed $10.

This law proved significant later when just a single Florida county, Broward County, chose to legalize poker in 1994.

Broward was home to the state’s first casino, Seminole Casino Hollywood (later known as Seminole Classic Casino).

When the new law passed, the casino began to offer poker games, albeit with a $10 per pot limit.

Florida Online Poker Law

Two years later, poker was legalized throughout the state at horse tracks, kennel clubs and jai-alai frontons, though again with that same restrictive $10 per pot limit. Such a limit not only meant the games necessarily had to be played as fixed-limit only, but usually, the betting was over near the start of a hand since it would only take a few small bets to reach $10.

In 2003, the statutory restrictions on card rooms were changed and the $10 pot limit was removed. However, the maximum for any single bet was set at $2, with a maximum of three raises allowed per betting round.

This meant fixed-limit hold’em and stud games with $1/$2 limits were fine, but NLH still could not be played. Even so, and despite not having no-limit games, Florida card rooms began adding tables as poker’s popularity increased markedly amid the “poker boom” of the mid-2000s.

Players and card room operators clamored for the betting restrictions to be changed.

Finally, in 2007, a law was passed that allowed players to play no-limit hold’em, although again in a restricted way. The new law removed the limit on pot sizes but introduced a $100 maximum buy-in as well. Again, many no-limit hold’em players complained how limiting the buy-ins affected strategy in such a way as to make the games more luck-based since everyone was always technically “short-stacked,” relatively speaking.

Finally, starting in July 2010, the buy-in restriction was lifted and poker players in Florida could at last play no-limit hold’em without any limits either on bet sizes, pot sizes or buy-ins.

Are home poker games legal in Florida?

Yes, it is legal to play in home poker games in Florida, although there are restrictions.

That Florida law governing “penny-ante” home poker games, passed in 1989, remains on the books today.

To quote from the law (Section 849.085 of the Florida statutes), a “penny-ante” game is as “a game or a series of games of poker” or other games like bridge, dominoes or mahjong “in which the winnings of any player in a single round, hand, or game do not exceed $10 in value.”

The law goes on to stipulate the host of the game cannot be compensated or charge admission or a fee to participate, that the home game cannot be advertised, and that all participants must be at least 18 years of age. Also, interestingly, “a debt created or owed as a consequence of any penny-ante game is not legally enforceable.”

Florida card rooms

Florida has card rooms located throughout the state, including near Tallahassee and Jacksonville. In the central part of the state, including near Orlando, on the West Coast around Tampa, and down the East Coast from Daytona to Miami.

Poker players in the state can play in stand-alone poker rooms, in rooms located in the state’s many racinos, as well as in rooms at the tribal casinos.

Stand-alone rooms, like bestbet Jacksonville or the ones at racinos like the Palm Beach Kennel Club, are among the busiest and most popular poker venues in the entire Southeast.

The rooms at the Seminole Hard Rock casinos in Tampa and Hollywood are also especially popular, and like the others, they frequently host large tournament series.

Below is a comprehensive list of Florida’s many card rooms.

Most specialize in no-limit hold’em at a variety of stakes, although the larger rooms with 15-20 or more tables will additionally spread pot-limit Omaha, stud games and mixed games.

Most rooms also often run daily and weekly tournaments, with the biggest venues that frequently host tournament series stops for significant national tournament tours, such as the World Series of Poker Circuit, the World Poker Tour and others.

Florida poker timeline

The long and winding road toward Florida finally legalizing no-limit poker games in brick-and-mortar card rooms as detailed above (see “Florida poker laws”).

Near the end of the year, that milestone was finally reached.

House Rep. Joseph Abruzzo filed a bill that would authorize operators of retail poker rooms to be able to provide online poker as well. The bill, HB 77, was called the Internet Poker Consumer Protection and Revenue Generation Act of 2011, and was initially referred to as the Business & Consumer Affairs Subcommittee.

Soon afterward, on the Senate side, Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla introduced an identically named bill, SB 812, for the same purpose.

The bill was discussed once, then after languishing a few months, was withdrawn from consideration in May 2011.

In early April 2014, Gov. Rick Scott tweeted, “Although a national ban would be a better approach, I support a ban on internet gaming in Florida,” making clear his staunch opposition to online gambling of any kind. Soon afterward, Scott signed into law HB 155, legislation prohibiting “internet sweepstakes cafes,” which provide customers access to games resembling online slots and video poker.

Scott even carried his anti-online gambling message to the US Congress as well, directly petitioning federal lawmakers to support the Restoration of America’s Wire Act, which would extend the 1961 law to cover all forms of online gambling. That law never passed, though Scott’s non-support for online gambling effectively prevented Florida lawmakers from considering the topic during the rest of his tenure.

During this period, a poker player named Martin Shapiro earned some attention from poker news sites for drafting his Florida-specific bill called the Internet Licensing and Consumer Protection Act of 2016; however, nothing tangible came of his efforts.

While no online poker-related legislation has been considered lately in Florida, the general topic of online gambling has been one of several topics of discussion amid the state’s negotiations with the Seminole Tribe over a new compact.

What does the future hold for online poker in Florida?

It would seem that legalizing online poker in Florida is a no-brainer. The state is already home to many large poker rooms and has firmly established itself as a kind of “poker destination” for US players.

Furthermore, with a population of around 21.5 million, there would undoubtedly be an adequate number of players in Florida to make even intrastate online poker viable in a way that would not be the case in smaller states.

The state also currently offers a wide range of other gambling options in addition to live poker, including the majority of casino games. Other types of legal gambling in the state include the lottery, betting on dog racing and horse racing, betting on jai-alai, bingo and other charitable games.

In other words, Florida is, generally speaking, a gambling-friendly state, which would also seem to indicate a good climate into which legal and regulated online poker could be introduced.

That said, the challenges being faced by those wishing to legalize sports betting in the state indicate similar difficulties likely to be met by proponents of legalizing online gambling, including online poker.

Can You Play Online Poker in Florida?

Florida is one of the famous destinations in the United States that currently ranks alongside Nevada, California, and New Jersey when it comes to playing poker. The Sunshine State is a top hotspot as tons of in-person poker rooms offer an incredible gambling experience. But there are no state-licensed online poker operators, as of 2020. It is somewhat shocking to say that the state has not legalized online poker as of yet.

In fact, Florida laws do not mention online gambling at all. There have been many attempts to legalize online poker in Florida. The most notable was in 2012 when the National Council of Legislators encouraged the idea.

But these efforts were short-lived. Lawmakers could not even agree to legalize online lottery ticket sales. However, avid poker Floridians often take advantage of the US states with legal online poker. If you’re planning to play poker online from the US, make sure you flock to the most trusted and licensed brands. It’s worth taking a look at our top legal online poker sites in the United States.

By sticking with legit poker sites, poker fanatics can have a better shot at fair games and secure banking that offer quick money access. Moreover, legal US online poker sites also go out of their way to reward newbies. This can include free money just for creating a new account. We will discuss everything in detail about laws regarding online poker in FL.

Summary of Florida Gambling & Poker Laws

Florida does not regulate online gambling within the state lines. At present, the only form of legal online gambling is horse racing. Although there are tons of casinos and live poker rooms in the state, steps taken toward online gaming failed to yield any outcome yet.

Poker is legal only at racinos, a combination of race tracks and casinos, and Seminole-operated land-based casinos all across the state. Pari-mutuel betting on dog racing, horse, and jai alai is permitted. We have reviewed the quick summary of Florida online poker and gambling laws below:

• Online Poker/Gambling - Currently, there exists no regulated gaming or online poker in Florida. The National Council of Legislators tried hard to change laws for online poker in 2012 and beyond. However, lawmakers were not interested in stretching gambling beyond the land-based Indian casinos and racinos. It is unlikely that Florida will legalize online poker in the years to come.
• Live Poker - There are tons of live poker rooms in most of the casinos in Florida. But it is allowed legally at the racinos and the Indian casinos.
• Casinos - Florida allows casino games and as a result one can find tons of world-class brick and mortar casinos. However, card rooms are regulated by the state law and only pari-mutuel style wagering is allowed. Other gambling devices are also prohibited. In addition, gaming laws also limit casinos to Indian reservations.
• Sports Betting - At present, local sportsbooks are illegal in Florida. However, FL gambling laws don’t ban placing bets at licensed offshore sites.
• Fantasy Sports - DraftKings and FanDuel, at present, accept players from Florida legally and permit fantasy sports betting.
• Esports - Esports lovers can play electronic sports only at the offshore gambling platforms.
• Other Gambling Options - Horse, lottery, dog racing, charitable games, pari-mutuel horse betting

History of Poker and Online Poker in Florida

Florida has an impressive history when it comes to poker laws. Since Europeans first settled onto the land of Florida, gambling existed as a part of their culture. Gambling was legalized in the 1900s. Much of its early history says that lawmakers kept banning all new land-based casinos around the state. They also placed certain limits on the amount that a gambler could risk while playing. Seminole lands and tribal management also played a big role in keeping the casinos limited.

In early 2011, Joseph Abruzzo introduced an online poker bill - HB 77. It is made to regulate intrastate real cash poker sites online throughout the state. At the time, people were enjoying legal Internet poker.

After introducing UIGEA in 2006, operating a FL real money poker site or online poker room was against federal law. His main aim was to pass this bill by March 2011. But again, it failed to accomplish its legalization of online poker in Florida.

Abruzzo tried again to get the Internet gambling and poker betting bill through in 2012. But due to the rejection from the Seminole tribe, efforts to legalize online gambling failed. During that time, Florida started Internet café gambling. This allowed avid players to go online and access real cash poker sites in public places.

Online Poker in Florida

Before picking any online poker room in Florida, it is essential to understand the legality of online gambling and Florida online poker rooms. Many believe that it is illegal for Florida poker players to play Internet poker. But no law technically addresses online poker.

However, there aresome laws that loosely touch on the idea of online gambling. The primary one is the gambling definition itself -

The inclusion of card games could apply to card games played online too.

Despite this, many residents still turn to online gambling. But as far as we know, no player has ever been prosecuted for playing online poker in FL.

Is Online Poker Legal in Florida?

“Is playing poker online legal in Florida?” is the common question in the mind of enthusiastic players. The state has plenty of poker rooms, but Florida has not legalized online poker yet.

Yes, the state is still struggling to get real money poker online and real money online casino games permitted. There may be some movement in recent years to give gamblers positive hope.

Online Gambling Florida

The state laws against gambling have never been enforced against online poker games, specifically. Moreover, no federal laws ban any person from playing online poker at a poker site.

Earlier, The Wire Act was enforced for online gambling operators. But after the revaluation of the Wire Act laws in 2011, it exempted poker, lotteries, and other gambling forms. It means this act just applies to sports betting today. Till Florida becomes a fully legal state, playing free online poker at real money websites remains a great option for poker lovers.

Where Can I Play Online Poker Legal in Florida?

Florida doesn’t permit operating online casinos. At the same time, the state doesn’t restrict bettors to play at an online casino. As such, Floridians looking for playing online poker in Florida legally can explore venues that accept deposits from customers from Florida.

To play poker games via online poker platforms one can easily find tons of sites that have opened their doors to poker fanatics living anywhere within Florida. Users can enter any live poker room they want. For players looking for real money poker sites, one can check out operators from states that have legalized online poker. You can findreal money poker sites legally in four current legalized states - New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

Ensure that you check the background information of the Internet poker platform before participating in any poker activity. Legal poker operators offer fully enjoyable poker playing sessions. Don't forget to claim your mega-sized online welcome poker bonuses.

Where Does Florida Offer Legal Online Gambling?

Residents from Florida have access to the tons of land-based gambling already. But when it comes to legal online gambling in Florida, there are limited options available today. Florida doesn’t offer state-sanctioned online gambling options.

However, since the state law doesn’t outlaw or regulate online casinos and real money bets, Floridians can play online poker and gamble with offshore casino and sports betting sites. Players can access online sites that accept US-based customers and also note Florida as a safe state.

Today, many top-rated off-shore online gambling sites permit bettors to bet on their favorite games online legally. They can also play free games on their mobile at any time and using any device. We suggest downloading ourbest mobile poker apps for 2020.

Will Florida Regulate Online Poker?

Florida has introduced a new gaming bill, SBP7082. This bill tries to make changes in the way gaming is regulated in the state. For example, it relaxes standards to run live poker rooms in Florida. But it doesn't address the problem of regulating online gambling. No momentum at present suggests that online poker will be regulated within the state. Moreover, the complicated gambling laws mean that regulated and completely legalized online poker in Florida is a long way off.

Currently, online poker in Florida is not legal. As per Section 849.08, unregulated gambling in Florida is illegal and considered a second-degree misdemeanor. Current Florida law describes illegal gambling as:

“Any person that plays or engages in any gambling activity like roulette, cards, keno, faro, or other games of chance, at any place and using any device shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree.”

There have been many discussions going on for a few years now regarding regulations for Florida online poker. These discussions are continuing even today. Therefore, we can say that an online poker bill may be introduced in the coming years, but nothing is imminent. There may be opposition from land-based gambling operators who may fear that online poker in Florida or online gambling may mint money.

But that will not be a problem. With more than 18 million population, Florida is the third most populous state in the USA. Many Floridians also love online gambling, mainly online poker. Thus, the market will be a big hit there if the state regulates online poker.

US Poker Laws 2020 - Florida FAQ

Can I Play Online Poker in Florida?

Currently, no. Online poker has not been legalized in the state of Florida as of yet.

What is the Minimum Age for Gambling in Florida?

Floridians can start gambling at land-based casinos as they turn 18. The only exception includes table games and slot games. For this, a gambler must be a minimum of 21 years of age.

Can I Play on PokerStars in Florida for Free?

Yes. Plenty of things had changed since April 15, 2011, when US officials enforced the UIGEA Act of 2006. They put online poker in the US in lockdown.

Since then, many states have released gambling rules that allow operators (including PokerStars) to provide poker games online to US players. Today, you can play poker games on PokerStars from the United States if you are in the right state and download the right client.

But, if you want to play poker games for free, you can freely use the PokerStars Play free platform. But players can't access the real money games if you are residing within the state's borders.

What Happens if I Use a VPN to Play Online in Another State?

The use of VPNs to play on regulated international platforms is not a good idea. It is because it can expose tons of legal problems. The money you make a deposit or withdrawal will result in many issues coming your way.

Moreover, the operator can prohibit all your profits and shut down your account if they found you gambling illegally. Users may also face banking problems regarding using these websites from an unregulated jurisdiction.

What Happens if I Play on an Illegal Poker Site?

Playing at an unregulated offshore website is completely illegal in Florida. These sites also don’t face the same regulations and laws as those in legal jurisdictions. When players use them, security is always a big issue.

Online Casino Florida

Plenty of players have struggled while withdrawing and recovering funds. Players also face legal repercussions. That is why it’s best to choose a licensed, legal, and regulated real-money sites. It is because they regularly monitor gambling activities and ban any fraudulent Florida online poker activity.