Florida lawmakers have introduced two new bills in the state House and Senate that, if passed, would put a definitive stop to ‘internet gambling’ and ‘internet sports wagering’ in the Sunshine State.
SB 1404 from the Florida Senate and HB 953 from the Florida House of Representatives propose significant gambling regulations for the state. It’s worth noting that bills like these are often introduced in tandem when lawmakers are eager to implement changes quickly.
Many sweepstakes casinos and offshore gambling outfits currently operate in the Sunshine State in a legal gray area. However, if these bills were to pass into law later this year, they would impose strict punishments on all such operations.
Offenses would be classed as third-degree felonies, which currently carry punishments of up to five years in jail and a $5,000 fine. Also, the wording of the bills is broad enough to cover the casinos themselves, plus payment processors and even affiliate promotions.
Exception for Seminole Tribe’s Gambling Operations
However, these new laws would not apply to the Seminole Tribe’s gaming compact, which currently offers in-person casino games and online sports betting in Florida. There is a possibility that a deal between the tribe and the state could soon officially endorse their internet operations, effectively granting them a complete monopoly there.
Sweepstakes Operators Clearly Targeted
In the bills, ‘internet gambling’ is defined as a “game in which money or other thing of value is awarded based on chance, regardless of any application of skill, that is available on the Internet and accessible on a mobile device, computer terminal, or other similar access device and simulates casino-style gaming, including, but not limited to, slot machines, video poker, and table games.”
This wording applies to sweepstakes and offshore casinos, and reflects a movement that’s fast gaining momentum in other US states. Similar bills in Maryland and Mississippi are gaining passage in the state legislature, while the West Virginia Attorney General recently issued subpoenas to sweepstakes casinos in the Mountain State.
Prominent sweepstakes operator, VGW recently won a jurisdiction battle as a part of a court case in Florida, where they’re being accused of breaking the state’s strict anti-gambling laws. The case will now be moved to Delaware, where VGW is based, but it’s one of only a few small victories for sweepstakes companies in the US of late.
With other major operators like Stake.us and High 5 recently pulling out of multiple states, you can keep up to date with all these fast-moving developments right here on the SweepsKings news blog.
Author: Alex Windsor
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