Understanding Florida Betting Laws
Florida betting laws basically cover two platforms. There is the physical, land based, or "real world" gambling experience, which can sometimes be constrained by your time and travel limitations. Then there is that form of Florida gambling which can be accessed from a mobile device or computer with an Internet connection.
There are obvious benefits to these two similar yet different types of legal gambling options offered in Fl, and while we dedicated this site to help give you a better understanding of the virtual gambling experience offered by Florida online betting, we do want to highlight the brick-and-mortar options as well. T
hroughout the state, Florida residents and visitors can legally enjoy betting "real money" on greyhounds and thoroughbreds, they can play bingo, sit down to a poker table, bet on Jai-Alai matches and play the lottery at several physical locations. They can even enjoy the ability to place a wager on a sports contest or play their favorite casino games on one of the many cruise ships the state has in operation, or at one of the state's brick and mortar Indian tribe operated casinos.
Florida Online Gambling Laws
Gambling laws in the Sunshine State have recently changed due to the negative experience that the state had with Internet Cafes, which have since been outlawed. The state has tightened up on their laws concerning any state based online gambling laws. It is not legal at this time to operate any type of online gambling site within the state of Florida.
That being said, there are no state regulated Internet gambling options for players in Florida. However, there are not any state or federal laws which prohibit FL players from visiting and engaging in gambling activity at virtual destinations which are legally licensed, certified and regulated by a legitimate governing jurisdiction. In fact, legal Florida online casinos attempt to mimic the land based casino experience in a virtual, online version.
What is the UIGEA Bill and Does it Affect Florida Online Gambling Options?
The federal UIGEA Bill passed in 2006 to outlaw US companies from processing online gambling transactions has caused some confusion for Florida gamblers, and just as confusing is the 2011 Department of Justice flip-flop concerning the US government's stance on particular forms of Internet gambling. What you need to know is that neither federal nor Florida gambling laws prohibit United States or Florida residents from enjoying Internet gambling, as long as one important stipulation is met.
The website or company you use online that supplies your virtual wagering experience must be officially licensed and regulated outside of the United States. Florida online betting venues include casinos, Florida online horse race betting, online poker rooms, online bingo halls, and Florida online sports betting.
Online Gambling's Black Friday - What it Means for the Industry
You may recall that on April 15, 2011 the three largest Internet poker rooms that served Florida residents, as well as global poker lovers, were shut down on what has become known as Black Friday in the Internet gambling community. But that criminal case (United States v. Scheinberg, 10 Cr. 336) accused those companies of bank fraud and money laundering, and to date not a single Florida or USA resident has been charged or prosecuted for placing a wager online.
The laws are in place to protect you and I, and allow us to legally engage in adult online gambling at websites which are licensed, managed and regulated offshore, in Canada, Europe and other non-US jurisdictions. However, just because there are no gambling laws in Florida which specifically outlaw that state's residents from gambling at an offshore casino, sportsbook or poker room, that does not mean every offshore operator is legitimate and trustworthy.
How Do I Identify Online Gambling Sites Operating Legally Within the Industry?
Fl betting laws are in place, as we mentioned above, to protect the state's residents. This is why when you head to an offshore web casino, you should ensure that its certification comes from a reputable and respected online gambling license provider, and a thorough review of that particular operation needs to be undertaken. Online betting laws in Florida provide a lot of freedom and possibility for the responsible adult gambler, and due diligence is a key component to successful and secure online gambling.
This guide is very respectful of the law, and only recommends those gambling sites which are verified to be legitimately operating within the industry as licensed and certified operations that are subject to strict regulatory oversight by a respected governing authority.
What is the Deal With Internet Cafes in Florida?
Florida at one time had more than 1,000 Internet cafes which they shut down, after a charity tied to Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll was accused of running illegal Internet gambling fronts through several of them. In order to quickly quiet the Sunshine State scandal, hasty legislation in the form of CS/HB 0155 was thrown together outlawing all Internet cafés, but accidentally worded to include "the prohibition of electronic gambling devices." This could apply to smartphones, desktop, laptop and mobile PCs as well as the physical slot machines it was written to address.
This has caused some Florida residents to mistakenly assume that Internet gambling is illegal in that state on any device, but that bill has been reworded to correct this error. But as we mentioned before, no online betting laws in Florida hamper your freedom to enjoy your favorite type of wager online. Also, since the December 2011 ruling of the DOJ allows each individual state to decide its own online destiny, Florida could join Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware as legally offering online gambling at the state level.
If and when this happens we will certainly keep you updated, and that 2011 DOJ ruling is important for another reason. The US federal government decided that poker was a game of skill and not chance, opening the door for possible legalized online poker play in Florida and other states in the future. The state of Florida also offers the ability to legally purchase Florida lottery tickets or tickets for other games online, and not just for US-sponsored lotteries, but also those held around the world.
To recap, if Florida gambling laws should change in the future and outlaw Internet access, we will keep you posted. But currently Florida online gambling laws allow adult residents and visitors in that state to enjoy the virtual wagering options of their choosing, as long as they access a website run by a company legally licensed and regulated in non-US jurisdictions.
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