The Status of Florida Sports Betting Heading into 2024

Florida has had a complicated relationship with sports betting over the past several years. In May 2021, a new tribal compact with the Seminole Tribe enabled them to offer online and retail sports betting in the state, but the deal was struck down by a judge in December – roughly a month after Hard Rock Sportsbook began operation in the state.

While some Florida betting apps are now legal it remains a tenuous situation. Here, we’ll go over the details that prospective Florida bettors need to know heading into 2024.

Florida Sports Betting as it Currently Stands

As of December 2023, Hard Rock Bet – the rebranded Hard Rock Sportsbook – is the only live sportsbook in the state. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the decision against the Florida-Seminole compact in June 2023, paving the way for sports betting to return to the state. Hard Rock Bet officially became accessible to all players of legal age in the state on December 5.

Where can I place a Bet in Florida?

Right now, the only mobile sports betting app in Florida is Hard Rock Bet. The six Seminole Casinos in the state – located in Big Cypress, Brighton, Fort Pierce, Hollywood, Immokalee, and Tampa – also serve as retail sports betting locations.

Florida Sports Betting: 2024 Possible Expansion

The Seminole Tribe has owned Hard Rock International since 2007 and have a longstanding legal monopoly on gambling in the state. This monopoly was extended to sports betting in 2021 – the legality of this extension being called into question is why operations were suspended shortly thereafter.

Looking ahead, the arrival of any future competitors to Hard Rock Bet in the state is contingent on Florida voters passing a commercial sports betting measure. This could happen as soon as 2024, but sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings still wouldn’t be able to begin operation in the state until at least 2025. Hard Rock Bet isn’t totally in the clear from a legal perspective and their monopoly could still be challenged in the meantime, but it wouldn’t make the launch of other sportsbooks happen any faster.