This effectively destroyed the US online poker industry and displayed that the federal government was prepared to enforce the law. On a Friday morning in 2011, the Department of Justice raided and shut down three of the largest online poker operators in the US. While many operators left, several offshore companies continued to accept US players. It also explicitly outlawed online poker and sports betting.

This outlawed all forms of internet gambling unless state laws stated otherwise, and immediately made all Florida online casinos illegal. In 2006, the federal government passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). This continues to have an impact on Florida’s online gambling laws. While this Act was created to make betting over phone lines illegal, it was later interpreted to outlaw internet bets too. Delaware Division of Gaming Enforcementīefore the Federal Wire Act of 1961, criminal organizations were side-stepping sports betting prohibition by calling in bets to states with legal sports betting markets.New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.The following are the only US states with licensed online casinos: As these laws restrict online casinos and sports betting, it may take some time for states to offer legal online gambling. Important Dates in American Gambling HistoryĪlthough US states are free to create their own laws when it comes to online gambling, if they don’t, they must follow federal laws by default. The industry is overseen by the office of the Attorney General. The successful 2021 bill deals with the first Florida online gambling law. In 2004, slot machines were approved at commercial casinos and later, so too were table games. While initially challenged, this led to the creation of the federal Indian Gaming Act, and Florida’s tribes were permitted to offer casino gambling. While casino gambling was outlawed for some time, this changed when the Native American tribes opened an unauthorized bingo hall on their lands. The most recent form of legal gambling was authorized in 1931 when pari-mutuel wagering on horse and dog races was approved. Whether or not this effort is successful will be a great indicator of the likelihood of online casino expansion in upcoming years.įlorida has one of the most interesting gambling histories of all US states.

That said, the state has not explicitly outlined the legality of DFS and participants should proceed with caution.įortunately, the future of online gambling in Florida looks somewhat bright, with online sports betting expected to be legalized in 2022.

Aside from this, players are able to sign up to major daily fantasy sports (DFS) sites. The only legal online gambling option in Florida is horse race betting.

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