The state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida have finally reached an agreement for a 30-year deal that will modernize the state’s outlook on online gambling. The state’s Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed the deal in an official statement.
Sports Betting Approved in the Sunshine State
The third day of legislation sessions brought about many cheers from the online gambling community. The Florida House passed the bill with a 97-17 vote to expand the gambling community in the state. Shortly thereafter, the Senate approved the bill with a 39-1 vote.
With these two approvals, the Seminole Tribe of Florida got the green light to offer online sports betting activities to Florida residents entirely legally. The deal between the Seminole Tribe and the state of Florida will bring over $20 billion to the state in the next 30 years.
Aside from offering sports betting activities, the Seminole Tribe will have the opportunity to expand its casino gaming floors with craps and roulette tables.
The chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Marcellus Osceola Jr., said he was immensely grateful to Chris Sprowls, Florida House Speaker, for his commitment to modernize and expand the online gambling industry in Florida.
What to Expect From This Historic Gambling Expansion?
The next move should come from the United States Department of the Interior, responsible for governing tribal gaming operators. If it approves this compact, the Seminole Tribe of Florida can start its legal sports betting operations on October 15, 2021.
This also means the Seminole Tribe can offer legal betting activities at dog and horse tracks and jai alai frontons.
Currently, a couple of gambling activities are legal in the Sunshine State. Those include:
- Tribal land-based casino gambling
- Some forms of pari-mutuel gambling (state-licensed cardrooms and horse racing)
- State-run lotteries
- Interstate games, including Powerball
- Slot machines at tribal brick-and-mortar casinos
- Off-track and inner-track horse racing (onsite bets)
The original agreement between the Seminole Tribe and the state allowed the federally recognized tribe to offer slots and blackjack at their brick-and-mortar casinos. The new deal will modernize the gambling industry in Florida and put billions of dollars worth of revenue into the state’s budget.
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Bethany has been working in online gambling for over 13 years. She got her start in the industry as her first job after graduating from the Professional Writing Program at York University. Having written for many online gaming publications and worked with top casino operators, she has unique insight into the gambling market. Bethany maintains a personal interest in iGaming as she continues to play poker online as a hobby.