Florida Online Casinos and Gambling Overview

Certainly, the decision to launch legal and regulated online casino gambling in Florida would be one that would be embraced enthusiastically by the gaming industry. As the third-largest state in the US, the Sunshine State would prove to be a massively lucrative location in terms of both handle and revenue.

In 2021, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sought to do an end run on the state constitution, seeking to launch online gambling in partnership with tribal casinos through the already existing Florida Gaming Compact with the Seminole tribe that oversees the state’s seven land-based casinos. The decision was quickly overturned in a Florida court. The Seminole tribe and the US Department of the Interior are appealing that ruling. Now it’s in the hands of the Federal Court of Appeals, awaiting a decision.

Despite these legal confrontations, a supportive ruling for the Seminole Tribe by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals hints at the possibility of Hard Rock‘s return in Florida, potentially aligning with the 2024 NFL season, pending the resolution of ongoing legal challenges.

Florida Legal Online Gambling Overview

No state has gone through the ups and downs and challenges to get online sports betting available to the public more than the battles that have raged in Florida. Requiring constitutional change to legalize sports betting, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis did an end run on the state constitution. Working hand in hand with the Seminole Tribe, which controls the majority of casino gambling in the Sunshine State, they applied for a sports betting license through the Federal Department of the Interior.

That was approved and for a brief time in 2021, legal and regulated sports betting was operating in Florida. However, opponents of the way DeSantis got it done, known as the West Flagler Associates, took the ruling to court and won. Sports betting was ordered shut down shortly following its debut in the state. 

However, in December of 2023, it launched again after the DC Court Of Appeals ruled in favor of the Seminole Tribe. The battle may not be over. Failing in March of 2024 to get the appeal overturned by the Florida State Supreme Court, the West Flagler group is now petitioning the US Supreme Court. Their argument is that the Seminole only have control over gambling when it takes place on tribal land and that should not include state-wide online sports betting.

Along with sports betting, Floridians can also bet at casinos, on horse racing, jai-alai, the lottery, bingo, poker in licensed card rooms, daily fantasy sports and sweepstakes casinos. 

Florida’s Best Gambling Sites

There is just one option in terms of sports betting sites in the state of Florida, whether you are wagering in person at a brick and mortar retail site, online or via a mobile app. That option is Hard Rock Bet.

Partnered with the Seminole Tribe, they are the only game in town – or in the entire state, for that matter. However, Hard Rock Bet CEO Jim Allen has allowed that he’s open to the idea of adding more sports betting sites to the Florida landscape.

Hard Rock Bet Florida: The welcome offer at Hard Rock Bet is money back on your first three bets up to $100. If any of your first three bets with them close as losers, they will return the funds to you in bonus bets up to a maximum amount of $100. Inside the Hard Rock Bet site, you’ll find action on all of the major sports markets, including extensive live in-play betting. The Hard Rock Bet app offers regular promotions delivering free bets and they are known to be quick with payouts when you cash a winner. 

Florida Online Casinos

There’s no online casino action currently on the docket in Florida. As far as land-based casinos, the Seminole tribe operates six of them – two in Hollywood, Florida, and one each in Coconut Creek, Immokalee, Okeechobee and Tampa. The Miccosukee Tribe are owners of a casino in Miami. 

Florida Sweepstakes Casinos

Sweepstakes or social casinos don’t accept real money for play on their slot machines or table games. You can play for free with gold coins, or utilize sweeps coins to compete for prizes. 

These are among the more popular sweepstakes casinos accessible to Florida players. 

BetRivers.net: Operated by Rush Street Interactive, the same company behind the BetRivers.com real money casino and sportsbook operations, one of the major perks at BetRivers.net is that you can not only play casino games inside their social casino, but they also offer virtual sports betting that is similar to what they provide through their real money sportsbook, except that you aren’t betting with or winning actual cash. 

Pulz Casino: If it’s exclusive games that you are seeking from a social casino, then pulsate on over to the Pulz Casino. Offering a library of more than 500 casino games, the Pulz Casino is adding to that number on a weekly basis. There are numerous methods that they offer to acquire free coins to play their games.High 5 Casino: The High 5 casino has it all. Their site offers slot games, table games and even card games. In 2023, they were voted the number one social casino by egaming Review. There’s over 800 games to play inside the High 5 Casino and they even deliver a player loyalty rewards program.

Top Florida Online Casinos

• Caesars Casino
• Hard Rock Casino
• BetRivers Casino
• Fanduel Online Casino
• DraftKings Online Casino
• bet365 Casino
• Unibet

Currently, there are no active negotiations or government bills before the state legislature seeking to bring legal and regulated online casino gambling to the state of Florida.  

Caesars Florida

One of the venerable entities in the casino resort industry, Caesars has been at it since the 1930s and they are the largest casino entertainment company in the USA. They already operate the Harrah’s Isle Casino in Pompano Beach. This brick and mortar casino offers 1500 slots, 40 tables in their poker room and table games including blackjack, roulette and craps. If you think that they will be missing out on the chance to tap into the massive Florida market when that change happens, well, you’d be wise to think again. The Caesars online casino is expected to launch first in Florida once the state approves online real money gambling.

Hard Rock Casino Florida

The Hard Rock is the one online casino company in the US that is already offering legal and regulated casino gambling to Florida players. They do so through their land-based casino, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa. Here you can play over 5000 slot games, table games such as blackjack, baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Casino War, and Let It Ride and poker. It’s only natural to expect that the Hard Rock is perfectly situated to be among the first to enter the Florida online casino market once the opportunity arises. 

DraftKings Florida

There already is a DraftKings element in Florida. The DraftKings daily fantasy sports site operates online in the Sunshine State. That’s how DraftKings first got into the online gaming industry, prior to the company’s rapid expansion into the US online sports betting and casino markets. It’s difficult to locate a US state offering legal and regulated online casino gambling that doesn’t house a DraftKings online casino as an option. 

FanDuel Florida

Already with an online presence in Florida through their DFS site, FanDuel’s parent company Flutter Entertainment also operates TVG, which provides online horse betting options to Floridians. When legalization does come to the Sunshine State, certainly the latter might help to aid FanDuel to find an agreement to offer online casino gambling in partnership with a Florida racino. Currently, there are few US states offering legal and regulated online casino gambling that don’t have a FanDuel presence. 

BetRivers Florida

Technically, BetRivers already has established a presence in Florida. Their free to play sweepstakes casino, BetRivers.net, is available for access to Florida players. That familiarity may help BetRivers to gain a foothold in the market once online casino gambling does become legal and regulated within the state. BetRivers parent company Rush Street Interactive does have a reputation for moving quickly into new US markets. The Betrivers Florida online casino app is not live yet.

Assuming that the same bonus offers presented in other states arrive with online casino gambling in Florida, it’s going to be hard to beat Caesars. Their offer to new players is a 100% matching first deposit worth up to $2000. And they add to that 25 bonus spins inside their casino just for signing up and opening a new account.

Expected Available Games At Florida Online Casinos

Slots will be the dominant presence inside any Florida online casino. There will also be popular table games such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat and craps. Anticipate that there will be both video poker and poker rooms on offer. Scratch cards, variety games, virtual sports, slingo, keno and bingo are other possibilities. And of course, many of those same table games will be provided in an online casino site’s live dealer studio.

Best Florida Online Casino Slots 

In their online casino in New Jersey, the Hard Rock set up a slot games first and it’s a unique play that literally has you gambling on the casino floor. A block of slots inside the Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City are housed separately in an enclosed room and only available for online play. Bringing a similar set up to their Tampa brick and mortar casino would certainly give them a leg up on the competition.

Here is a list of the best slot sites in the USA.

Florida Online Casino Blackjack

DraftKings is popular for their number of exclusive table game offerings. Along with classic blackjack, they offer football, baseball and basketball-themed blackjack, bingo blackjack, down under blackjack, pride blackjack, vacation blackjack and four 20s blackjack.

Florida Online Roulette Games & Sites

The number 13 isn’t bad luck at FanDuel, because that’s how many variations of roulette they offer. There’s American, European and French versions to try out. There’s first person roulette, double bonus roulette and step into their live dealer area to have a go at lightning roulette.

TOP Live Dealer Games in Florida and Apps

With better than 30 options awaiting you inside the BetRivers live dealer studio, you’ll find something to your tastes. Possibilities include multiple versions of blackjack and roulette, craps, card games such as casino hold’em and three card poker, featured dice games sic bo and bac bo and well-known game show themes that include Monopoly and Deal or No Deal. 

With over 10 million downloads and a rating of 4.4 from the Google Play Store and 4.6 from the Apple Store, it’s apparent that no matter what mobile device you use, Caesars will more than deliver the online casino goods to it. 

View top US casino gambling apps and casino welcome offers.

How To Find The Best Florida Online Gambling SItes

Variety in game play is an essential element to long-term satisfaction with an online casino site. Whether it be a run of bad luck or simply a desire to try something new, offering numerous games assures you’ll never grow tired of signing in to your favorite Florida online casino site. A lucrative welcome bonus is always a good start. Knowing the site is safe and secure, that it offers a number of banking methods and processes financial transactions promptly, as well as delivering first-rate customer service are other vital elements in a successful online casino operation. 

Florida Online Gambling FAQ