There’s a wide range of opportunities to gamble in the U.S. Players can find bingo, lottery games, poker, and casinos, as well as online gaming, depending on their location. When it comes to online casinos, players have access to online poker in Nevada, while New Jersey and Delaware have legalized online poker and casino gaming. Pennsylvania legalized both poker and online casinos last year and will launch services in 2019.

1. What Is The Legal Gambling Age In Florida
2. Best Florida Casinos 2021 - Florida Gambling Laws And Casinos

It’s important that players always keep in mind the legal gambling age to be able to take part in this activity, be it online or in land-based venues.

How Old Do You Have To Be To Gamble In The U.S.?

Below you will find the legal gambling age by state including the Virgin Islands, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Minimum Gambling Age At Land-Based and Online Casinos

In states that offer casino gambling, the age ranges from 18 to 21. In most areas, players must be 21 to take part. States have set age limitations when legalizing gambling within their borders and since most casinos offer alcohol sales, they limit the age to 21 so visitors can drink while on the premises. IDs are checked upon entering to ensure that patrons are the correct age to be on the gambling floor.

The 18+ casinos in Florida allow 18 year olds to play poker, various table games and bingo, but do not allow them in the area of the casino floor that houses the slot games. All of the reputable brick and mortar casinos will have a website that explains their policies and procedures concerning their minimum age requirements, and we suggest that. Get 100% up to £100 plus £88 no deposit bonus at 888 What Is Gambling Age In Florida Casino. Only 30x wagering. Enjoy one of world’s most trusted and secure casino!

With online gambling, the age range is 21. Many lawmakers across the US have brought up that the legal age limit for online lottery games is 18 and yet for online casino games it is 21. We may see lawmakers decide to allow the limit to be changed in the future.

Age 21+ Welcome to Play at Online Casinos

If you are 21, feel free to get your gaming on by visiting a local casino or reputable casino sites like BetOnline or Cafe Casino. If you are underage, practice with free online casino games until you reach the legal gambling age limit. Remember to gamble responsibly and enjoy your time getting to know the various online casino games on offer!

Home» US Poker Laws » State Laws » Florida Poker Laws

Relevant state code: 849.01 et seq.; 550.001, et. seq.

With sweeping statutes and a bevy of arcane rules, Florida easily ranks as one of the least-friendly states for gamblers. The state takes a very strict approach to regulating gambling, and has a very broad definition of what constitutes gambling:

Section 849.08
Whoever plays or engages in any game at cards, keno, roulette, faro or other game of chance, at any place, by any device whatever, for money or other thing of value, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree

A separate part of Florida law specifically outlaws wagering on (unregulated) games of skill:

Section 849.14
Whoever stakes, bets or wagers any money or other thing of value upon the result of any trial or contest of skill, speed or power or endurance of human or beast, or whoever receives in any manner whatsoever any money or other thing of value staked, bet or wagered, or offered for the purpose of being staked, bet or wagered, by or for any other person upon any such result, or whoever knowingly becomes the custodian or depositary of any money or other thing of value so staked, bet, or wagered upon any such result, or whoever aids, or assists, or abets in any manner in any of such acts all of which are hereby forbidden, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree

These two aspects of Florida gambling law essentially make any sort of wagering that is not explicitly authorized by the state de facto illegal.

Florida has especially stiff penalties for those operating an illegal gambling business. In addition to the various direct charges that could result from the running or participation in the advancement of such an enterprise, Florida law treats gambling offenses as predicate offenses that can trigger more severe racketeering charges. As for those who merely participate in gambling, Florida has harsher penalties than you'll find in a typical state. Prosecutions of individual gamblers, however, appear to be quite rare in Florida.

What Gambling is Legal Under Florida Law?

Several forms of gambling are legal under Florida law. Parimutuel wagers are allowed at licensed horse and dog racing tracks. Florida administers a state-run lottery, and limited Indian casino gaming is also permitted in the state.

Social gambling is legal in Florida under very specific conditions. As is the case in most states, Florida requires that social gambling take place between people over the age of 18 and in an environment where no one is profiting (or attempting to profit) from the operation of the game. Florida also requires a $10 cap per hand or per round for the game to be considered 'penny ante' (their term for social gambling) and therefore legal. Finally, only bridge, canasta, dominoes, hearts, mah-jongg, pinochle, poker or rummy are allowed under Florida's social gambling exception..

Charitable bingo games are allowed under Florida law when conducted by authorized organizations, as are certain kinds of raffles. Poker games, whether tournaments or cash games, do not appear to be legal under charitable gambling law in Florida.

Can I Play Poker Legally in Florida?

If you play poker for real money at either a recognized tribal casino or in a 'penny ante' game as described above, you are well within the law in Florida.

Otherwise, poker for stakes would appear to be illegal under Florida law. Remember, the statutory definition of gambling includes prohibitions on both games involving cards and games of skill, so there seems to be little room for an exception for poker under current Florida law.

The question of whether or not individuals would run a real risk of prosecution for playing poker is a much different one. We were unable to locate any instances of individuals prosecuted simply for participating in an illegal poker game in the state of Florida.

Does Florida Allow Online Poker Sites or Gambling Online?

Florida law regarding gambling does not specifically address the issue of gambling or playing poker online.

What Is The Legal Gambling Age In Florida

As is the case with just about every state in the US, gambling law in Florida is vague and broad enough to potentially apply to just about any manner of wagering; for example, one could make a case that an individual playing poker online has essentially turned their computer into a gambling device that would be illegal under Florida law.

The ambiguity surrounding online gambling and the law in Florida is aptly illustrated by the controversy surrounding Internet Sweepstakes Cafes operated in the state. To the casual observer, such cafes would seem to clearly be serving as online casinos - but their operators claim to be within the boundaries of Florida law and may have at least a reasonable legal basis for that claim.

Summary: It is unlikely that either an online poker operator or player is within Florida law when it comes to real money games. Casino operators may have more room to work with thanks to Florida sweepstakes laws. The risk of facing prosecution as an individual player is actual in terms of the letter of Florida law, but apparently insignificant in practical terms..

Florida Gambling Law - Fun Facts

It's illegal to engage in gambling or horseracing within one mile of a religious camp.

Best Florida Casinos 2021 - Florida Gambling Laws And Casinos

Actual gambling isn't required for authorities to classify a place as a gambling house - they only need to find 'any of the implements, devices or apparatus commonly used in games of chance' to assume that a place is being used for the purpose of gambling.

Florida Gambling Law in the News

Florida state rep Joseph Abruzzo floated a law to regulate intrastate online poker back in 2010, but the bill failed to get any traction and was tabled in April of 2011.

A bill seeking to ban Internet sweepstakes cafes passed the Florida House in 2012, but seems to be permanently stalled in the Senate.

Will Florida Regulate and Legalize Online Poker Sites?

Regulated online poker sites in Florida faces a number of hurdles. First, any online gambling regulated or otherwise legally endorsed by the state would have to be in compliance with the current gaming compact the state has with the Seminole Tribe. Second, there appears to be little legislative motivation to tackle online poker, as evidenced by the death of Abruzzo's bill in 2011. Finally, the growing backlash against Internet sweepstakes cafes could conceivably result in legislation that would explicitly prohibit all internet-based gambling, effectively raising the legislative bar for an online poker bill.

It's not all negatives; Florida is the 4th largest state by population in the US and is already a popular destination for poker players thanks to a recent reversal of the state's wagering limits for poker. Those two facts suggest that Florida could be one of the few states where an intrastate poker room would actually be viable in terms of player liquidity.

With that said, it seems relatively unlikely that regulated online poker will come to Florida within the next three years, largely due to a lack of political motivation and the state's generally restrictive stance toward gambling.