What's The Legal Gambling Age In Florida

Florida is no stranger to legalized gambling, having hosted different forms of betting since 1931.

Legal gambling ages across the US vary, with states setting the minimum age at either 18 or 21. This can however change depending on the type of gambling, as well as if you're playing in a Native. Age restrictions in bingo premises Although the law does not prevent under 18s from entering bingo clubs, the industry generally chooses to apply a no under 18s policy. Under 18s are allowed in. Gambling Age in Florida Like many states, the gambling age in Florida depends on the game in question. To play bingo or poker, players must be aged 18 or over. Other forms of gambling, such as table games, slots, and betting on races require players to be 21 and over. Florida Casinos and the Biggest Casino City in Florida. Florida has a total of 82 casinos and pari-mutuel facilities at your disposal which are spread out across 33 cities throughout the state. The city with the most is Miami with 19 casinos.

Wagering in Florida all began with dog and horse racing, followed by jai alai, all in the 1930s. All three of these sports still operate today and allow betting onsite. In fact, all of the jai alai frontons also offer poker rooms and slots. Racinos, located within race tracks across the state, also offer these gambling amenities.

Tribal casinos came to Florida in the late ’80s, offering table games and slot machines. There are currently 8 such casinos, along with a handful of casino cruise ships that linger offshore. Residents can also take advantage of independent card rooms, where poker is legal.

Online gaming has not yet come to Florida, although the possibility may be closer than we think. Residents can take advantage of social gaming, however, where they can play the slots or poker for fun instead of money.

Additionally, Sen. Jeff Brandes has filed threeFlorida sports betting bills for the upcoming 2020 legislative session. With a big tribal presence in the state, passing any sports betting legislation may come with numerous hurdles.

Sweepstakes casinos in Florida

Social casino site options

In Florida, the options for social gaming are similar to other states. Zynga, Slotomania, BigFish, and the rest of the usual suspects are available to Florida residents and visitors.

Residents are typically too far away to take advantage of the MyVegas comps options. However, there are three exceptions: Resorts World Bimini, Royal Caribbean, and the Orlando offerings from Gray Line Tours.

Bimini is the closest Bahamian island to Florida. It’s either a short boat or plane ride away from the eastern coast. Though RWB’s casino is smallish, with only a few hundred slot machines and a smattering of table games, the property is well-furnished, and the comps offered through MyVegas include discounts on rooms, food, and other activities.

Another MyVegas option that Floridians can truly use is the site’s partnership with Royal Caribbean cruises. Rewards offered through MyVegas include onboard credits and, most invitingly, actual cruise comps for interior staterooms on departures out of Fort Lauderdale. It’s conceivable that free or nearly-free five-day vacations are convenient for most Floridians. (At least those willing to put in the time to get 750,000 loyalty points.)

The final option is to get comps for the Gray Line Tour options out of Orlando. The rewards offered are mostly companion tickets or discounts, but there are MyVegas options for trips to Miami, Clearwater Beach, St. Augustine, and the Kennedy Center. So, at the very least, if you were planning to go sightseeing in Florida anyway, you might be able to ease the burden on your wallet and do it in style.

Land-based slots environment

Florida has a long history with regard to gambling. Legal forms of wagering have existed in the state since 1931, when dog and horse racing were legalized.

Since that time, there has been an ebb-and-flow to the public’s acceptance of gambling options and buildings. Ultimately, Florida has undoubtedly become a destination for more than just beaches and retirement facilities.

Florida first legalized slot machines and jai alai back in 1935. They quickly repealed the machines (but not the jai alai) two years later. Limited slots gaming was introduced in 1988 on tribal lands due to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. But it wasn’t until 2004, 67 years after their repeal, that voters revived slot gaming and approved slot machines’ introduction to the racetracks and jai alai facilities.

Tribal Casinos

The path that led Florida to become such a gambling-friendly state hinges on one major fact. Florida has a preponderance of Native American tribal lands within its borders.

Florida’s interwoven relationship with several tribes – particularly the Seminole tribe – has allowed for the expansion of gaming in Florida. And, unlike other reservation lands, many tribal properties are near or inside major metropolitan areas in the state.

The Seminoles have operated some form of gambling in Florida since 1981, when they began offering bingo at their Tampa-area reservation (one of six reservations in the state). Today, the tribe owns and operates seven different casinos. These include two Seminole Hard Rock locations in Tampa and Hollywood.

In 2009, Governor Charlie Crist signed a bill into law that relaxed rules on much of gambling, particularly with regard to poker. Those seven Seminole casinos, one Miccosukee-run facility, and several casino cruise boats offer slot gamblers more than 25,000 machines and over 750 table games upon which to play.

Additionally, players can find over 800 Florida poker tables in cardrooms and racinos throughout the state. Below is a listing of the properties.

Land-based slots options

Online gambling options

As of right now, Florida has no laws either for or against online gambling but has no regulated sites of its own to offer.

However, since the legislature has a budget shortfall and what seems to be a favorable opinion about gambling within the state, it would be no major surprise if Florida iGaming became a legal reality.

With so many land-based options and no major public backlash to be seen, Florida is definitely on the upswing with its gambling. So, those who prefer online games are likely to find options fairly soon.

Operator profile

Miccosukee Resort and Gaming Center

With the Seminole tribe dominating so much of Florida’s gaming scene, it’s important to remember the other group that has a stake. The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida operates the Miccosukee Resort and Gaming Center. This is located on the corner of Krome Avenue and Tamiami Trail in the far western portion of Miami.

It’s a 56,000-square-foot facility offering over 1,700 slot machines, poker, and bingo. They also have a 1,200-seat entertainment venue and three restaurant options.

The center is on 25 acres of Miccosukee reservation land. However, the Miccosukees (like their Seminole counterparts in Florida) have more than one discontiguous piece of reservation land throughout the state. In fact, the primary area is within the Everglades, where the tribe has resided for over 100 years. In fact, the Miccosukees are descended from a group of Creeks who eluded capture in the wetlands area.

Today, more than 600 tribal members live in the area. They are direct descendants of that group of Creeks, who spoke Mikasuki – hence the new tribal name. The tribe is federally recognized by the United States government and maintains roughly 75,000 acres of reservation land in total (plus a perpetual lease for another 189,000 acres).

State legal environment

What the legal gambling age is depends on the state in which you live. Based on the powers of the states, each state's rights, and the lawmakers utilizing these rights, these ages can vary. the variance comes into play with different forms of gambling, different states, and, in the case of online gambling, the age requirement offered by a gambling site. While this may seem complicated with so much information to keep track of, this is not exactly the case - age requirements in gambling are very easy to comprehend, provided you know where to look.

Unfortunately, not every single state has actually listed the age requirement for gambling in their code of laws. It is further complicated by the fact that some states allow smaller jurisdictions, such as counties and cities, to establish their own legal ages. For the most part, we are only going to worry about each state's individual rules, as well as the rules of the different gambling sites in question. We have looked into this issue on a state by state basis, and we are going to tell you flat out that the age restriction for legal online gambling in the USA is fixed at two numbers - 18 and 21.

What's The Legal Gambling Age In Florida Beaches

CHECK HERE FOR A LIST OF GAMBLING SITES THAT ACCEPT USA PLAYERS

USA Sportsbooks - USA Casinos - USA Poker Sites

Do Gambling Ages Differ Between Sites And States?

What's The Legal Gambling Age In Florida Keys

Barring a few exceptions, you will have to be 21 in order to legally gamble. This is the case in nearly every single state. Some states allow 18 year olds to gamble. Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming all have gambling ages of 18.

Every other state in the Union has fixed their gambling age at 21, and you cannot get around this in any way. If you attempt to do so you are aiming at serious trouble, including fines, having your money confiscated, and possibly arrest, though the latter is not likely.

There is one point of confusion that is universal in online gambling. This lies between the age required by your gambling site and the gambling age required by your state. In some cases, one will allow gamblers to begin at a younger age than the other. In the event that these ages differ from one another, you have to go with the gambling age that is higher.

What's The Legal Gambling Age In Florida Panhandle

For instance - your casino allows 18 year olds, but your state requires you to be 21. That means you cannot join unless you are 21, as per your state's regulations. On the other hand, if your state will allow 18 year olds but that particular gambling site requires you to be 21, you will have to be 21 - regardless of your state's requirements. This is the only real point of confusion, and it can be easily bypassed.

Age Requirement For Online Gambling Sites

What Is The Legal Gambling Age In Florida

As you will come to find, there are gambling age restrictions at the gambling sites you visit. These gambling ages requirements will be stipulated in the terms and condtions section of the site, or some variation of the rules of the site. These requirements are very important, and strictly enforced by the sites themselves.

Legal Gambling Age In Florida Casino

One thing we can tell you not to do is attempt to gamble underage - be it online or in a brick and mortar venue. Even if you can enter the website or join up with pme, you will ultimately be going down a path you cannot finish walking. If you join a gambling site that you are not old enough to play with, be aware that they are fully entitled to confiscate your money.

No one likes losing, and losing without even having a chance to win is never fun. We have compiled the legal gambling ages in every state, so we recommend you take a look at these before you start to gamble.

It's best consult your local laws to find out the gambling age after you have checked with, and at least are old enough to gamble at the online casino or sportsbook you have chosen. If you meet the online gambling site but not the state, you are still not 'legally' allowed to wager regardless of where it operates. Getting caught illegally gambling online is not something that you want to have happen, as you will be stripped of accounts, money, and perhaps more.

We do not condone underage gambling and encourage all players to get informed. The age of gambling legally online is still a debated issue, with many states in the U.S. requiring bettors to be at least 21 years old. We do not foresee that changing in the near future though, if at all.

What's The Legal Gambling Age In Florida Gulf Coast

Find the legal gambling age for every state here.