The legality of sports gambling to Florida residents is often debated, particularly as a result of popularity and rise of Internet-based offshore sportsbooks that nominally become a grey area of US legal authority. The dearth of accurate information encompassing online sports betting in Florida could be disconcerting and even off-limits to potential players, but that doesn’t have to be true, because when you realize the ins and outs of FL sports gambling law, you’re going to have the ability to set your wagers with confidence.
If it sounds daunting to navigate all of the state and national laws surrounding sports betting in FL, do not worry — it’s not. The rules and laws are rather simple when it comes to gambling on sports at the Sunshine State, and after you understand what to search for, you’ll be able to wager securely and with peace of mind, no matter where you’re in the nation.
Is Sports Betting Legal in Florida?
Sports betting legality in Florida is a tricky thing on the surface. There are no laws specifically prohibiting the action, but additionally, there are no regulatory legislation permitting it. Nevertheless, laws in the US are based on what’s illegal, not on what is permitted. Therefore, you can presume — rightfully so — that sports gambling is actually allowed in the state. To put it differently, FL residents can freely bet on sports without the fear of government reprisal, provided they use a reputable online sportsbook.
Whether you are simply betting for your favorite team like the Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Rays, Florida Panthers, Miami Hurricanes, FSU Seminoles, UF Gators, Tampa Bay Bucs, or even theJacksonville Jaguars, you can do this without worrying about political repercussions of any kind. To add to that, by employing an online sportsbook rather than a shady local bookie, you know the lines on top regional teams will be unweighted (i.e. have moderate vigs, or home takes) and your winning payouts are always guaranteed.
Legal Sports Betting Sites Accepting Florida Residents
While there are lots of legal sports betting sites accepting Florida residents out there, they are not all made equal. If you are going to risk your hard-earned money to put bets on your favorite players and teams at an internet, offshore sportsbook, you owe it to yourself (and your bankroll) to be certain you select only the most reputable Florida sportsbook providers.
With decades of experience serving the Sunshine State, sportsbooks such as Bovada, BetOnline, SportsBetting, along with other top books (BetDSI, 5Dimes, BookMaker, etc.) are always your best bets to finding and putting winning wagers in their robust, comprehensive betting boards.
Bovada – Live Betting On Football, Basketball, Baseball, Etc
Bovada SportsbookThe Sunshine State has a great deal to offer people who reside there, with its great weather, sunny vistas, and sandy shores. Better still, Bovada — the nation’s top online sportsbook — allows you enjoy the tropical outside while you wager on your favorite sports matchups. As a result of Bovada’s top-of-the-line, industry-leading mobile sportsbook portal, you can place money on sporting events no matter where in the country you happen to be.
One of the top reasons to proceed with Bovada as a Florida player is the gambling odds which are available on their always-updated betting boards. All things considered, options are important, since most FL bettors are not strictly going to wager on their local home teams. So, while all the Florida teams have been represented at Bovada, all the other amateur and professional US teams of note will also be on their boards, with global wagering options to select from as well as sports such as soccer, cricket, softball, and much more. New FL residents signing up at Bovada today can even receive a generous, low-rollover $250 Welcome Bonus to pad their online gambling accounts.
Combine Bovada Today BetOnline – Features Live Dealer Casino + Poker
BetOnline SportsbookFlorida is not the cheapest place in America to phone home, but there is no state income taxation, so that is a huge draw for residents of all age classes. After all, in the present economy, saving as much money as you can while enjoying a casual lifestyle is much more significant than ever. BetOnline also believes this doctrine and it may be viewed by how they give away a lot of free-play bonuses. Anyone living in Florida that signs up for free in BetOnline is going to have the ability to qualify for their lifetime bonus. Simply enter the voucher code LIFEBONUS on each qualifying deposit and also get up to 25% on top of your deposit.
In addition to reload bonuses, BetOnline offers several other valuable perks for both returning and new members. And while their sportsbook is the site’s number-one draw, it is definitely not the only way to gamble at BetOnline. BetOnline features a fully-fledged, Vegas-style live dealer casino, a popular internet poker lounge, heaps of table games, hundreds of digital slots, and also a thorough international Thoroughbred racebook.
Combine BetOnline Now SportsBetting – Spread + Over/Under Can Be Wagered
SportsBetting SportsbookThe hottest gambling odds — and greatest betting limits — await Florida sports bettors at SportsBetting. With actions on just about every national and global game, this betting site is considered the go-to sportsbook for Florida high rollers. However, with the most deposit and withdrawal options of any FL sportsbook, SportsBetting is just as well suited to this gaming novice as to the wily old vet.
SportsBetting accepts both conventional and alternative payment options, from credit cards, debit cards, and bank wires to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, and DASH. Better still, all these financial choices carry high deposit and withdrawal limitations at SportsBetting, meaning — no matter how much cash you need to bet — you can fill your SportsBetting account in a rush. Just like most other websites, SportsBetting.ag also supplies fresh and returning FL customers lots of bonuses and perks to keep them coming back for more.
Combine SportsBetting Now 5Dimes – World Class Casino, Poker And Horse Book
5Dimes SportsbookWhen the heat index is 115 degrees Fahrenheit, Florida residents tend to state indoors with the A/C pumping and the cool drinks coming. Naturally, then, there’s no better time to jump online and place some wagers on a baseball or soccer game. To this end, 5Dimes is a historical and reputable online sportsbook that accepts Florida residents, and it’s 100% free to join. Provided that you are 18 or older, you can be a part of one of the best sports betting sites on earth.
5Dimes has a robust sportsbook with numerous wager types on tap, such as straight bets, spread stakes, totals, props, and futures. However, there are lots of other gaming options which may make things much more interesting. With alternate lines aplenty, 5Dimes provides more wagering customization than any other competing book, perfect for those who like to group their stakes into parlays for optimum payout possible. 5Dimes also has plenty to do outside of sports gambling, with a world-class casino, poker room, and horse book available to all FL members that sign up today.
Join 5Dimes Now Greatest Florida Sports Betting Sites – 100% Reputable + Safe
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Finest Banking Methods At Legal Florida Sports Betting Sites Each one of the top sportsbooks serving FL have comparable — but not necessarily identical — payment options for deposits and withdrawals. On the other hand, the very best banking methods at authorized Florida sports betting sites are rather universal between them, and it comes down to exactly how much and how long you want to bet. If you need to place your bets straight away and need to fill your online sportsbook accounts ASAP, debit or credit fees process instantly.
Be cautioned, however, that credit/debit payments carry lower transport limitations than some bigger bettors enjoy. In such cases, cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (accepted everywhere, with different books accepting different altcoins as well) are superior, given that they process the identical day and carry the greatest limits of all options at many books. But some people prefer to deposit and withdraw their money via older, more conventional methods like check, bank wire, or money order.
In such cases, the limits are often quite high, but the associated processing times (1-2 weeks) and additional fees make them more expensive options than Bitcoin along with other altcoins like Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, DASH, Cardano (ADA) and other methods (where accepted).
Mobile Online Sports Betting In Florida
Mobile online sports betting at Florida is the wave of the future, and — after the state institutes a sports betting law and neighborhood sportsbooks available for business — you may shortly thereafter likely be able to use their online portals via your cellular phone or tablet to bet from anywhere inside the nation. Additionally, using legalization, it’s probable you’ll eventually have the ability to download official iPhone apps and Android programs for your Florida sports gambling facility of choice.
However, any mobile net portal or app-based sports betting solution from an FL-based sportsbook will be geo-fenced, which means you will always need to physically be inside the state of Florida to place your wagers.
Right now, with offshore sportsbooks already being online and operational for Florida sports bettors, you may use your iPhone, iPad, or Android device to bet at Bovada, SportsBetting, BetOnline, along with the rest of the leading legal novels serving FL residents. Another benefit of working with these abroad sportsbooks is that they aren’t geo-fenced, meaning FL residents who sign up for these services can continue to use them even when they are out of FL’s borders. Each of those sites is optimized for browsers and some even have programs that you can download directly from their site.
Florida Sports Betting Laws
There are in reality no current Florida sports gambling laws to speak of, since the state has traditionally relied upon the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA, 1992) to govern their gambling laws from the athletic arena. Now that PASPA was overturned by the Supreme Court, but the FL legislature will need to institute its own sports betting regulations and licensing strategies prior to any physical brick-and-mortar or online centre in the state can provide sports betting inside FL’s boundaries.
That said, there’s a passage in FL law that could be construed to be a nominal sports betting ban. Florida Statutes 849.14 says the following:
“Whoever stakes, bets or wagers any cash or other items of value upon the outcome of any trial or contest of skill, speed or power or endurance of animal or human. . .shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second level…”
Of course, there are lots of semantic technicalities from the aforementioned statement that effectively prohibit this”ban” from having a successful ban. As such, although the state sees some 3-4 million taxpayers turn a sports betting handle of about $12 billion annually, not one person has ever been detained, fined, imprisoned, or otherwise plagued from the FL authorities for putting a sports bet locally or on the Internet at a legal online offshore sportsbook.
When Will Florida Offer Legal Sports Betting In-State?
With PASPA overturned, the deadline on when FL will provide legal sports gambling in-state isn’t set in stone. Although most industry experts expect the state to enact a comprehensive collection of sports gambling laws sometime in the very near future.
Though there may be some tiny problems working with the tribes’ charters and compacts such as their exclusive casino gambling rights. A new compact may have to be written in order to include provisions with this gambling expansion. Sports gambling is much too popular — and far too rewarding — to justify languishing in the state legislature for a lot longer.
However, with Amendment 3 death on the recent ballot, it might make formally legalizing sports gambling even harder. The amendment essentially gave voters the right to bring forth any casino gambling expansion legislation they want to find the country legislators. While the amendment didn’t specifically mention sports gambling, some have argued that it would fall under the class of casino gaming. With so many sports lovers in the state, it’d be surprising if Republicans didn’t officially ask their state lawmakers to bring about this change through a referendum.
Legal Gambling Age For Florida Residents
The State of Florida is quite progressive in regards to gambling, with a few kinds of gambling available as soon as you turn 18. For wagering on sports on line, however, it’s advisable (but by no means required ) that you be at least 21 years of age in order to participate. When land-based sportsbooks open in FL today that PASPA was overturned, but those facilities will likely require their participants to be 21 or older.
What Cities In Florida Have Sportsbooks?
Currently, no cities in Florida have sportsbooks to offer the gaming public. However, there are lots of possible places for land-based sports gambling in Florida once the state passes formal sports wagering regulations, and though it’s not a certain thing that each one of the possible venues will open their own sportsbooks, nearly all them likely will.
These locations contain the following, in order of their likelihood to offer sports gambling upon formal legalization by the state (with Tampa and Hollywood being up, as they are home to the state’s two biggest casinos, both of which are Seminole Hard Rock possessions ):
Tampa, FL
Hollywood, FL
Hallandale Beach, FL
Okeechobee, FL
Immokalee, FL
Pompano Beach, FL
Dania Beach, FL
Coconut Creek, FL
Miami, FL
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Along with the casinos listed above, there are also numerous card rooms and pari-mutuel centers scattered around Florida. Whether or not these will be contained in the sports gambling movement going forward remains to be seen, and a lot of this will depend on how the sportsbook taxation and application/licensing prices are established by the Florida state authorities.
Florida Sports Betting FAQs
What is live betting?
Live betting, also known as in-game wagering, is a recent development from several online sportsbook suppliers which allows players to wager on sports since the competitions themselves unfold in real time. As a result of mobile devices with persistent internet connections, it is easier than ever to take part in live gambling, adding a huge number of daily chances to win to your standard sports gambling docket.
What are the consequences of wagering on sports on the internet under the age of 18?
Each one of the best online FL sportsbooks only need their clients to be 18 years old or older to use their services, including all of their casino games and racebook choices. However, when you try to maintain your capital, you will need to provide proof of your identity. If you are underage, or if you signed up underage and since turned 18, your account will be terminated and your winnings — and accounts balance — will be forfeited. However, in order to remain secure, we advise that you wait till you are 21 to begin utilizing these websites. The reason being is it is the highest required gaming age in the state of Florida also ensures that you can properly avoid any possible trouble with the state farther down the road.
How can I finance my online sports betting account if my credit card fails to process?
There are numerous alternative methods via which you can fund your Florida sports gambling account if your credit card fails to procedure. For rapid transfers, nevertheless, cryptocurrency is the only viable alternative to card payments, along with other options (money orders, bank wires, etc.) may take up to 14 days to process and also show up in your sportsbook wallet. Seeing as how Florida has sports clubs in each significant sport, there is always an event occurring at some stage in the season and those 14 days could mean the difference in cashing in on a match and not.
Do I have to pay to sign up with an internet sports gambling site?
No, you can’t have to pay to sign up with an internet sports betting site. Should you ever encounter any sportsbook that requires this, avoid themas they’re probably untrustworthy and may be outright scams. The top online offshore sportsbook sites that take Florida residents are free to combine and a number actually offer a welcome bonus. This will give an excess cushion for when you need to wager about the Dolphins or other groups for the very first time.
Do I have to pay taxes on my own online Florida sportsbook winnings?
It’s true, you have to pay taxes in your online Florida sportsbook winnings. The requisite government forms and educational overviews can be found here. Even though this may seem like an annoying procedure to do, it is the best way to stay safe from any penalties later on. Florida also doesn’t have a state income taxation that’s one less expense you need to fret about when filing your taxes.
Is online sports betting a federal crime?
No, at least not with offshore sportsbooks. The Wire Act is the only federal law in place that has got something to do with online gambling betting and it only prohibits people in one state from utilizing an online sportsbook housed in another nation. For example, if you were enjoying a day in South Beach and wished to put a sports bet, you can’t use one put in New Jersey. On the other hand, the law doesn’t have any jurisdiction over the operations of sports gambling sites located in different countries or users of those sites.
How do I join a legal Florida sports betting site?
To be able to combine a legal Florida sports betting site, you merely have to enter your name and some basic personal information into your betting site of choice’s automatic subscription portal. This is no different than, say, registering for a Netflix or Amazon accounts, and your private information is secured with state-of-the-art encryption. Better still, the entire process only takes approximately five minutes or less! You could register for one in less time than it would take to arrives at one of Florida’s sandy beaches.
When a Florida sports betting site payout is moved via check, do I must do anything special with it?
No. Yet, due to the nature of overseas checks of this type, it’s wise that you don’t attempt to cash the check immediately, as on rare occasions, such checks need additional time to clear. Just deposit your check in your bank accounts, then once it clears, you can draw it out as money at your convenience. This applies to almost any bank you use or any Florida credit union you might be apart of.
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