Guide to Florida Gambling Age: Casinos, Sports Betting & More

The state of Florida has had a mixed approach to gambling across its history. While the Sunshine State historically embraced traditional forms of gambling such a pari-mutuel betting and slot machines in the 1930s, there have been severe limitations being placed on any new gambling legislation since 2018, meaning it has been a game of two halves for Florida’s gambling operators.

In this page we will outline each form of legalized gambling in the state, along with the associated Florida gambling age for each type of activity. We will also discuss the history of each form of gambling and if there are any changes or legal developments that could alter its legality in the future. To discover the legal gambling age in Florida for each form of legalized wagering refer to the table below.

In the table above, each of the required legal Florida gambling age is outlined. If there is not an age included for a form of gambling, then that form of gambling is most likely illegal in Florida. In the sections below we will discuss each legal gambling age in more detail as well as discussing in more detail the history and future for each form of popular gambling in Florida.

Casino Age in Florida

Florida has had legalized commercial gambling operating within state boarders since 1979, with the casino age in Florida set to 21. The first commercial casinos to begin operating within the state were casinos operated by the Seminole Tribe on tribal land, all of which are operated in accordance to a compact between local tribes and the state.

There are 7 tribal casinos currently operating within Florida, the majority of which are run by the Seminole Tribe who are authorized to offer Class III games. Within their compact the tribe has exclusivity over offering Class III card games such as blackjack and baccarat within their premises; but are not able to offer dice or ball games such as roulette as these are outlawed in Florida.

Alongside the 7 tribal casinos, Florida also has an additional 8 commercial casinos/racinos in operation at horse/dog tracks or jai alai betting locations. These facilities were authorized in 2004 by state legislation that allowed any current pari-mutuel operators the ability to diversify by expanding to offer electronic slot machines and non-house backed card games onsite.

While legalizing further commercial gambling in 2004 was a big step forward in opening up the gambling landscape in Florida, the legislation only allowed for operators who were actively offering legal betting services in 2004 to take advantage of the new legislation. This has placed a cap on the number of commercial gambling operators in Florida as no new operators are able to set up shop and offer casino style gambling within the sunshine state.

The legal casino age limit in Florida is set to 21 across both tribal and commercial casino locations. The rationale for setting the age limit to 21 is most likely because all locations serve alcohol onsite and the legal drinking age in the US is 21.

For those avid casino players in FL who are after a real casino experience that includes all casino classics in one place, they could take a trip on one of the infamous ‘cruises to nowhere’ that operate out of several Florida ports. The idea being that as these cruises operate in international waters they are not governed by or subject to FL state laws. However, these cruises operate in a very grey area of legality which is the subject of a lot of federal discussion and are not looked upon kindly by Florida state or the US as a whole.

What are The Casinos In Florida that accept 18 year Olds?

There are no casinos in Florida that accept 18 year olds. All casino locations, be they tribal gambling centers or commercial racinos, only allow entry to those above the age of 21. However 18 year olds should not be discouraged, there are other forms of gambling they can get involved with in Florida.

Bingo is legal in Florida and allows 18 year olds to participate. Florida statutes expressly state that a gaming establishment cannot be established purely for the sake of gaming. However, Bingo is an allowed exception to this rule but only under the understanding that each game sponsors a non-profit organization/charity that has been in existence for at least three years, the caveat being that all proceeds from the bingo game go to the non-profit/charity.

The Florida state lottery, poker rooms and Daily Fantasy Sports also allow 18 year olds to participate, but we will discuss each of them in detail later on this page.

For the time being for those over the age of 21 who want to gamble at a land-based casino/racino we have pulled together a list of the addresses in the table below of the top eight casinos currently in operation in Florida.

Sports Betting In Florida

While Florida is known for its impressive roster of professional sports teams, including the Miami Heat, Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Rays amoungst others, sports betting is illegal in the Sunshine State and is very unlikely to have a change in legal status any time soon. Legal changes are hard to come by in Florida as the state passed legislation in 2018 that requires a public referendum with 60% support before any amendments or additions can be made to state gambling laws.

However, there are still some forms of sports wagering that Florida residents can enjoy. Pari-mutuel wagering on horse races, jai alai and greyhound racing have been legal since the 1920s. Individuals are able to place bets in person at many of the local racetracks or jai alai frontons across the state. However, a bill was passed in 2018 that effectively outlawed greyhound racing in Florida, with all racing to cease by 2020 residents will no longer be able to bet on live racing but will still have the ability to wager on televised out of state races.

Also, for those fans of Daily Fantasy Sports, major operators of Daily Fantasy Sports currently operate within the sunshine state but its legality is up for debate – which we will discuss in more detail later on the page.

FL Online Gambling Age

Online gambling is illegal in Florida and looks to stay that way for the foreseeable future. Any amendment to current gambling legislation or introduction of new legislation will need to entered into state legislature by a public referendum with 60% support, sadly to date it does not look like there is a large want/movement within Florida residents to push for online gambling legalization. As there is no legal online gambling in Florida there is no online gambling age limit.

Florida is not unlike many other US states in outlawing online gambling, only a handful of US states allow online gambling in any form with many states instead favoring in person gambling. For a full list of legalized gambling forms available in Florida check out the gambling ages table at the top of this page.

While Florida residents might be able to access offshore casino or sports betting websites that allow them to wager, we advise against this. Any offshore websites are not licensed or regulated within the US and therefore any individual playing in Florida would not be covered by any consumer protection laws.

Florida Poker Gambling Age

One form of gambling that is legal within Florida is land based poker games. Commercial casinos and racinos within Florida are licensed to offer card games that are not backed by the house and poker is included within this. The legal age for playing poker in the US is 18 so many of the Sunshine State’s commercial casinos have separated out the poker rooms to allow access to 18 year olds.

When, in 2010, legislation was passed that increased the maximum bet for poker beyond $2 the market for poker within the Sunshine State exponentially expanded. Through this increased interest in poker, Florida has developed a reputation as a destination state for those who enjoy live poker games, with many casinos hosting live poker tournaments.

With all online gambling outlawed in Florida, there is no legal online poker market. As mentioned earlier some poker players might be able to access offshore online poker websites, but participating in poker games on these sites is not advised as players will not be covered by any US consumer protection laws.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Daily Fantasy Sports exists in Florida, but its legality is questionable. All the major Daily Fantasy Sports operators operate within the Sunshine State but Florida’s legislature has not entered any law that officially defines its legality. For now, those above the age of 18 are able to set up a Daily Fantasy Sports account in Florida.

Since the 1990s there have been discussions regarding the legality of Daily Fantasy Sports in Florida, with the most recent moves in 2015 when a state attorney threatened legal action against Daily Fantasy Sports operators if they did not leave the state – however nothing came of it.

For now, Daily Fantasy Sports still operates within Florida, with the major operators arguing that as it is a game of skill instead of chance it doesn’t fall within the remit of gambling laws as these cover games of chance. However, as there haven’t been any laws passed expressly enshrining Daily Fantasy Sports legality those playing in Florida do so at their own risk.

Legal Age to Play the Lottery in Florida

Florida has had a state lottery since 1988. In the three decades since the lottery has been introduced it has established itself as a beloved gambling institution, even offering the largest lotto jackpot in history – worth $1.586 billion. The legal Florida gambling age for the lottery is 18 years old.

Florida’s lottery is run by Florida Lottery. All proceeds from the Florida lottery is donated to local schools and educational charities, with the introduction of more lottery games over the years the lottery has been able to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for these charities.

For now there is no online lottery on offer in Florida with residents only able to purchase tickets in person at an authorised lotto seller. Residents shouldn’t find it hard to find a ticket seller within the Sunshine State as there are over 13,000 retailers across the state, meaning it is the most accessible form of gambling on offer in Florida.

Florida Gambling Laws & Future Outlook

Florida’s gambling laws are set out in state legislature under Title XLVI which defines what are considered criminal activities in Florida. Within this title gambling is defined as ‘playing or engaging in any card game or game of chance, at any place, by any device, for money or another thing of value’. Within this title gambling is defined as illegal – specifically ‘keno, roulette, faro or any other game of chance’, legal forms of gambling are either listed as exceptions or have specific legislation allowing for its legal status within Florida.

The Florida gambling market is very healthy making an economic footprint of over $7.5 billion in 2019, while the land-based casinos/racinos support over 54,000 jobs across the state. The economic impact from Florida’s gambling industry has been on the increase every year since further commercial casino gambling was legalized in 2004.

One unique feature of Florida is that it has no personal income tax, so unlike many other states where gambling winnings are taxed at personal income tax rate, there is instead a flat rate tax of 25% is applied to gambling winnings above $600. One exception to this rule is the state lottery which is taxed at a federal rate of 24% which is applied to any lottery winnings above $5,000.

For a state that has spent much of modern history at the forefront of modern gambling, Florida looks set to lose its position as one of the most popular gambling states in the coming years. While Florida does currently house some of the most popular land-based casinos located in the US’s southern states, the lack of online gambling options and the debatable legality of Daily Fantasy Sports means that Florida is lagging behind in the times.

Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like Florida will be legislating any new gambling laws any time soon. After the passing of laws in 2018 any amendment to Florida’s gambling laws have to be initiated via a citizen referendum that has at least 60% support. This means that unless there is overwhelming support amongst Florida’s residents for online gambling it looks very unlikely that any form of online gambling will be available in Florida in the near future.

Frequently Asked Questions

We hope that this page has given you good insight into Florida’s gambling laws and the legal gambling ages for each of them. Should you still have any outstanding questions that need answers, we have answered some of the most frequently asked questions below. For more US minimum gambling ages head to our homepage.