Sports Betting in Florida –  Updates & Legalization

The future of sports betting in Florida is hanging in the air just ahead of football season. After the Seminole Tribe finally got approval to relaunch sports betting, gaming entity West Flagler Associates filed another motion that looks to stop the launch in its tracks.

Even though Florida remains one of the most contentious in the United States, residents can still access some of the best online sports betting sites. 

The Best Florida Sportsbooks in 2023

Best Florida Sports Betting Sites 2023

Just as the name suggests, our experts at Bookmakers Review scour the growing market of sportsbooks to find the best in the business that are worthy of your time. We review each site based on a set of criteria we deem most important, and from there, we have completed a top 10 list of the best Florida sports betting sites. The great news is all 10 sites will accept Florida users looking to get into online sports betting.

Here is our top 10 offshore betting sites for Florida residents:

1. BookMaker – Accepts action from all players. 
2. Heritage Sports – Best for live betting, VIP service to every player 
3. Bovada – Offers an abundance of prop bets 
4. BetOnline – Releases opinionated lines 
5. BetAnySports – Offers reduced juice 
6. BetUS – Offers large sign-up bonuses 
7. WagerWeb – Offers same day bitcoin payouts 
8. GTBets – Offers unique promotions and has casino games
9. JustBet – Releases odds earlier than most sites
10. Everygame – Offers a variety of bonus promotions

All 10 of these sportsbooks are based offshore, meaning they do not have to abide by the laws in Florida, which currently deem online betting to be illegal. But as a Floridian, you can still join and bet with real money on these sites as there is no specific law to prohibit you from doing so. If you are concerned about your safety in using these offshore sites, do not fret. We made sure to inspect that each one is a reputable place for legal sports betting and will pay out your winnings the way you deserve.

Is sports betting legal in Florida?

The legality of sports betting in Florida all depends on how you want to define “sport.” It is not legal to bet on the Super Bowl or World Series or similar sports wagering in Florida, but you can bet on a random horse race at various venues and on apps. You can play Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) on apps such as DraftKings and FanDuel in Florida legally, but you will not be able to bet point spreads, totals, props and any other bets you’d expect from sports betting apps.

Florida residents were able to enjoy mobile sports betting for a few weeks in late 2021 thanks to a compact reached by Governor Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe to start accepting online sports wagering in Florida. However, those betting services were quickly suspended after a federal judge threw out the compact agreement after claiming it violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act by illegally expanding gambling in the state. New Tribal compacts from the American Tribes in the state are in the works, but the successful legalization of gambling in Florida is still in question as many representatives oppose gaming expansion.

The case is held up in the court’s appeal process. There is no regulated, legal system for allowing mobile sports betting in the Sunshine State. Efforts have been underway to legalize sports betting and online casino gambling in Florida, but it is a slow-moving process that could still take years to achieve. This is why your best bet on sports wagering is to join one of the offshore sports betting sites, preferably one of the ones we vetted for you in this guide. There is no law to prevent you from joining such a site and wagering real money on sports bets.

Sports betting apps are not going to be offered natively on iOS or the Play Store until there are agreements reached, either. However, with an online sportsbook, mobile sports betting is easy thanks to how streamlined the sites are for mobile devices.

The Best Florida Sportsbooks Reviews 

Our top 10 list for sports betting sites includes some sportsbooks that are better than others in certain areas, such as their welcome bonus or the rollover requirement. To help you figure out which site will suit your personal preference the best, read on to see reviews of each of our top 10 best online sportsbooks for Florida players.

1. BookMaker: Great for Bettors of All Experience Levels  

Bookmaker.eu has been operating since 1996, making it one of the oldest sportsbooks in our list. But this experience has led to BookMaker’s reputation as the site “where the line originates” as it tends to publish the earliest odds in the market, a good boost for sharp bettors or other Floridian bettors looking for value.

Based in Costa Rica, Bookmaker.eu accepts all action from U.S. bettors. One concern winning players always have with a sportsbook is getting their account severely limited or even closed. This is not a concern at BookMaker as it will honor sports wagers from all users with high betting limits in place. BookMaker’s current welcome bonuses vary by your deposit method. If you deposit by crypto, you will receive a 20% cash bonus up to $500. All other deposit methods get a 25% cash bonus up to $500. This bonus comes with a 10x rollover requirement before you can withdraw any of the winnings. BookMaker also offers substantial reload bonuses, and you can join one of the best loyalty programs out there. 

2. Heritage Sports: Best for Live Betting 

Heritage Sports is another Costa Rica-based sportsbook that has been online since 2001. It used to be an invite-only site, but new accounts are welcome now, including anyone from Florida. If you join Heritage Sports, you will see reduced juice lines advertised throughout the site. This means that instead of offering the standard betting lines of -110 on game sides and totals, you can get -108 odds or, in other words, more bang for your buck over competitors.

Heritage Sports is one of the best options for those interested in live betting on sports. They also offer esports betting, online casino games (scratch cards included), 24/7 live dealer games and a racebook. 

New users can receive a 50% sign-up bonus up to $250 that has a 12x rollover requirement. That is smaller compared to competitors, but Heritage Sports prides itself on its reduced juice-cash back loyalty program that will continue to reward players. They also offer some unique bonuses and perks, including a free parlay for your birthday (maximum value of $500) and every eighth deposit is on the house based on the average of your previous seven deposits.  

3. Bovada: Perfect for Prop Picks 

Bovada is a popular online sportsbook that is very newbie-friendly to American users looking for their first offshore experience. They have a simple site design with plenty of sports markets to bet on, and you can find an assortment of props in their prop builder. Bovada also offers a wide variety of payment options, excellent customer service and a busy online casino to go along with the robust sportsbook. You can also play a unique lottery game and bet on horse racing.

For sports bettors and crypto fans, Bovada’s welcome bonus is a 75% crypto deposit bonus of up to $750 to bet on sports. The rollover is only 5x on sports and horse wagers, which is impressively low.

4. BetOnline: Best Opinionated Lines 

BetOnline is another A+ rated online sportsbook based in Costa Rica with a long track record of satisfying customers. One of the coolest features that separates BetOnline from rivals is having opinionated lines on football, basketball and baseball. Not only are these lines you won’t see on other sites, but you can parlay together prop picks with these unique lines. 

Beyond the deep sportsbook, BetOnline offers a racebook, live betting, esports betting, poker and casino games; you can also enter a variety of contests with cash prizes. BetOnline offers various payment methods, including crypto, P2P, credit cards, bank transfers and more.

BetOnline also has a great variety of promos. New users looking to bet on sports can use promo code BOL1000 for a 50% welcome bonus of up to $1,000 on your first deposit. The minimum deposit for this offer is $55, and there is a fair 10x rollover requirement. BetOnline is also offering Florida users a 100% NFL Reload Bonus up to $1,000, perfect for getting in on the action this season.

5. BetAnySports: Reduced Juice & More 

BetAnySports, established in 2002, has proven to be a top-notch offshore sportsbook for Florida residents over a span of two decades. The platform provides a highly diverse betting market that includes a vast array of sports popular in the United States, such as football, baseball and basketball. It caters to a variety of gaming interests, offering not just a sportsbook and racebook, but also a casino and a lottery. Bettors appreciate the platform’s easy-to-use website design and choice of bonus packages, making it a reliable and user-friendly choice

The platform’s distinct “less juice package” sets it apart, offering the lowest juice at -105, allowing bettors more profit on their winnings. BetAnySports also provides a generous 25% cash bonus and seamless deposit and withdrawal methods, including the option for Bitcoin transactions.

6. BetUS: America’s Favorite Sportsbook

The self-proclaimed “America’s Favorite Sportsbook” has been operating since 1994, making it among the oldest choices in our top 10 for Florida users. BetUS covers all the major leagues that Americans know best, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAAF, NCAAB and more. They also offer an extensive number of blackjack games, online slots, a racebook, tournaments and video slot machines.

There are many bonuses at BetUS. New users can get a 125% bonus up to a maximum of $3,125 when they make their first deposit. Additionally, BetUS provides a unique deal where the sign-up bonus is equally split into a 50% sportsbook bonus and a 50% casino bonus. This bonus is split evenly between the sportsbook and the casino, with each offering a 50% bonus.

7. WagerWeb: Same-Day Bitcoin Payouts 

WagerWeb launched in 1994 and holds a BMR rating of A. Like Heritage Sports, it is based in Costa Rica and offers reduced juice lines at -108 odds instead of the standard -110. In addition to the sportsbook, WagerWeb offers over 200 casino games, live betting and a racebook, as well as free weekly football betting contests, perfect for the 2023-24 NFL season.

New users in Florida can get a 100% cash welcome bonus of up to $500 with a 15x rollover. This is available only for deposits made with Bitcoin or MoneyGram. There are also cashback bonuses for the sportsbook, casino, and racebook.

 8. GTBets: Get Better Lines for Your Favorite Teams 

Formerly known as Game Time Bets, GTBets has been in the market for just over a decade now with a license through Gaming Curaçao. They offer a sportsbook with some of the more unique promotions around along with casino games (slots, tournaments, table games, video poker) and horse racing.

An exciting promotion at GTBets is the ability to get a half point on the betting line for your favorite teams. You can select your favorite team from each of the top leagues (NFL, NCAAF, NBA and NCAAB). Those selections are locked for the remainder of the season. But you will get a free half point on the betting line for each of your favorite teams in each regular-season game. So, if the Buffalo Bills are a 7-point favorite in a game, you can get the line at 6.5. These lines will be highlighted in yellow to make it easier for you to find your favorite teams.

GTBets has an interesting sign-up bonus as it will not only reward you for a first deposit, but you can get another bonus for your second deposit. When you make your first deposit, you will receive a 100% match up to $500 (12x rollover requirement). GTBets also gives you a 50% bonus of up to $250 when you make a second deposit.

9. JustBet: A Sister Site to BookMaker 

JustBet was bought by BookMaker, our top-rated offshore sportsbook, back in 2013. You can expect a similar experience to using BookMaker, including a streamlined web design that won’t lag on your favorite device, making it ideal for live betting. You also get access to a racebook and a Vegas-style casino with slots, roulette, video poker and tournaments with other JustBet players.

The JustBet welcome bonus gives new users from the United States and Canada a 20% cash bonus of up to $500 on their first deposit using crypto. This comes with an 8x rollover requirement. All other deposit methods will receive a 25% cash bonus up to $500 with a 10x rollover. JustBet also offers reload bonuses, a refer-a-friend offer and racebook rebates of up to 8% back.

10. Everygame: Great Mobile Site 

Everygame, with its sportsbook headquartered in Antigua, has been online since 1996 and holds a BMR rating of A. The company was long known as Intertops before celebrating its 25th birthday with a rebranding to Everygame, offering a sleek web design and as many betting markets as any rival out there. Not only can you bet on the most popular sports leagues in the world, but you can wager on horses, darts, handball, esports, cricket, snooker, table tennis, the stock market, the 2024 presidential election or guess the exact Powerball number in the next drawing.  

This site truly lives up to the name Everygame. While you can enjoy the sportsbook at Everygame, lottery-minded users will want to head over to the detailed classic casino section. You can find over 300 slots and plentiful poker options, but most importantly, you can play keno and scratch card games. The site also offers demo versions of casino games that you can play for free, a feature you don’t always see.  

Everygame is offering new users up to $750 as a sign-up bonus. You can get up to $250 bonus on your first three deposits using various methods. Each bonus is subject to a rollover requirement of 4x at minimum odds of -200 before you can redeem your next bonus.  

The History of Sports Betting in Florida

Florida first legalized gambling in the middle of the Great Depression, in 1932. Sports betting markets and other gambling brought a lot of tourism to the state.

Locations opened that offered everyone’s favorite table games, and within two years, slot machines hit casino floors. These popular games were later removed in 1973.

Throughout the 80s, cruises would allow Floridians a true gambling experience with no destination in mind. Numerous contests, loads of sports betting, and additional games were available on these so-called cruises to nowhere.

Casino gambling was first legalized in Florida in the year 2004. Now, you can find a multitude of tribal casinos on tribal land, and in larger cities.

The Magic City Casino features all of Florida’s favorite table games, and many popular games to try.

Timeline of Gambling Events in Florida

Here is a look at the history of Florida’s gambling laws and the most recent developments.

• 2023: As of January, no decision has been made on the overturn of the suspension of the gaming compact.
• 2022: In January, an initiative to get sports betting on the 2022 midterm ballot fails. The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit orders a hearing regarding this matter, in July. Five months later, the D.C. Circuit began hearing arguments to overturn the decision from 2021.
• 2021: The Seminoles and the state come to an understanding based on the compact signed that enables the tribe to offer online sports betting. In November, the tribe launches a sports betting app but a federal judge orders them to cease operations.
• 2020: In December, a bill to legalize sports betting is introduced in the State Senate
• 2004: Florida legalizes casino gambling in tribal lands.
• 1931: During the Great Depression, gambling is legalized to boost tourism, by a single vote in the state Senate.

Retail sports betting and sports betting markets have yet to open in the Sunshine State. Even though Florida is home to some well-loved teams like the Tampa Bay Rays, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Heat, there is no retail sports betting offered in the state.

There are also no licensed sportsbooks in Florida, which means that online casinos and offshore sports betting are still the greatest options for Florida sports betting.

Latest Developments in Florida Sports Betting News

Initiative #21-13, also known as the Florida Sports Betting Initiative didn’t make it on the ballot for the 2022 midterm election in Florida. The Florida Education Champions faced an unofficial deadline to submit signatures on December 30. Florida county elections officials had 30 days to verify the signatures and it was proved that, as of February 1, 2022, the initiative amassed 514,874 valid signatures.

Florida Education Champions announced that the measure would not qualify, adding “[w]hile pursuing our mission to add sports betting to the ballot we ran into some serious challenges, but most of all the COVID surge decimated our operations and ability to collect in-person signatures.”

DraftKings CEO Jason Robins remains confident about a ballot initiative in 2024. At the moment, there are no sports betting legalization efforts in the works.

When will sports betting be legal in Florida? 

The best answer right now is that no one really knows when sports betting will be legal in Florida. With the DeSantis-Seminole Tribe appeal going through the slow court process, it could be some time – years even – before sportsbook operators could open in Florida. There could be another voter initiative planned for 2024, but some experts believe it could take until 2026 for Florida to have locally operated legal sports betting options. 

Compare the Best Florida Betting Sites & Sportsbooks

Sportsbook	Rating	Online Since	Payment Methods	Read Review
BookMaker	A+	1996	Credit Card, Bitcoin, P2P, Crypto	Bookmaker.eu Review
Bovada	A+	2011	Credit Card, Bitcoin	Bovada Review
Heritage Sports	A+	2001	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Cashiers Check, Bank Transfer, P2P	Heritage Sports Review
BetOnline	A+	2001	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Crypto, Cashiers Check, Bank Transfer, P2P	BetOnline Review
BetAnySports	A+	2002	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Electronic Check	BetAnySports Review
BetUS	A	2000	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Bank Transfer, P2P	BetUS Review
WagerWeb	A	1994	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Cashiers Check, Bank Transfer, P2P	WagerWeb Review
GTBets	A	2011	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Crypto	GTBets Review
Everygame	A	1996	Credit Card, Bitcoin, Skrill, Neteller, Bank Transfer, P2P	Everygame Review
JustBet	A	2000	Credit Card, Bitcoin, P2P, Crypto	JustBet Review

Wide Variety of Florida Sports Betting Options

For many years, sports bettors were limited to the standard bets of moneylines, point spreads and totals. But with more offshore betting sites joining the betting market and offering unique parlay options, live bets and alternate lines, you can find a deep selection of choices to add to your bet slip every day. Some of those choices can include:

• Game props
• Player props
• Alternate lines
• Parlays
• Same Game Parlays
• Round robins
• Teasers
• Pleasers
• Futures
• Live Betting
• Progressive parlays
• Reverse bets
• If bets

Competitive Sports Betting Odds

Veteran bettors know it is wise to have accounts at different sportsbooks so you can shop around for the best odds on your desired wager. Some sportsbooks are better than others at offering their lines earlier or with reduced juice to give you a better price.

Bonuses and Promotions

Everyone loves a huge welcome or sign-up bonus when they are new users, but the best Florida sportsbooks know that to keep customers loyal, they have to continue offering bonuses and promotions. Here are some of the types of bonuses you can expect to see at quality offshore sportsbooks:

• Reload bonuses
• Risk-free bets
• Rebates
• Loyalty programs
• Referral bonuses
• Odds boosts in select markets
• Contests or sweepstakes

Look for these and other promotions on a continuous basis, including specials that may require the use of sportsbook promo codes that we keep listed at Bookmakers Review.

Mobile-Friendly Interface to Make Bets

With so many people making wagers on their smartphones, it is crucial for any of the top Florida mobile betting sites to run on software that will be lag-free and able to handle live betting markets for users on the go. It also helps to have a clean interface that is easy to navigate and find your favorite markets to bet on so you can build parlays and other bets. Not many of these offshore sites have a native app that you can download from the store of your Android or iPhone, but the best ones all have mobile-friendly websites that you can access with ease on your favorite devices to make your bets.

Trustworthy Reputation

In a market that is exploding with sportsbook options, it is crucial to have a good reputation and track record of treating customers fairly. We like to stick to sportsbooks that have a good reputation earned through years of service, and we would not recommend one to you if we did not think it was trustworthy.

Quick and Secure Sportsbook Payouts

One of the easiest ways to build up a good reputation is for a site to have multiple sportsbook banking options. The more options the better when it comes to making deposits and getting payouts from an offshore sportsbook.

Most of the top-rated sportsbooks are good at accepting major credit/debit cards, bank transfers, wire transfers, P2P services (PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, etc.), eWallets (Skrill and Neteller) and even old-school methods like sending you a check. We also think it’s a plus when a site offers cryptocurrencies as that is usually the fastest method of getting your payouts, and it can lead to some of the best bonuses if you deposit with crypto. This is why we like to point out the best Bitcoin sportsbooks when we do our reviews.

Helpful Customer Service

Sometimes you just need help, or maybe to dispute a sports bet’s outcome. The best sportsbooks understand that a strong customer support team is vital to the user experience. The best ones will offer 24/7 support with a variety of ways to communicate, including online forms, email, phone calls and even video chat.

Florida Betting Guides

We also provide insight into the vast realm of online casinos and reliable gambling sites in the Sunshine State, so feel free to dive into the betting action in Florida with our comprehensive guides.

• Sports Betting Apps
• Online Poker
• Horse Racing
• Online Lottery
• Miami Casinos
• Online Casinos
• Gambling Sites
• Jacksonville Casinos
• Tampa Casinos

FAQs – Online Sports Betting in Florida