Sports fans in The Sunshine State get a bad reputation for being fair-weathered fans. While that might be the case to some degree, there’s no shortage of sports fans who’ve fallen in love with daily fantasy in the state.
Rules and regulations nationwide are hard to keep up with, leaving many wondering if they can play daily fantasy legally in the state of Florida.
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Is Daily Fantasy Legal in Florida?
There are currently no laws in Florida that explicitly prohibit daily fantasy sports. While there have been threats by the state attorney to shut down DFS operations at times, popular apps like FanDuel and DraftKings can still offer full daily fantasy sports options without legal risk.
The Legal History of DFS
In 2016, the state’s Attorney General issued an opinion stating that DFS was a form of illegal gambling under current law. This caused several major companies operating in the industry, such as DraftKings and FanDuel, to suspend services in the state. A lot of states made similar decisions, making plenty of people wonder if any type of sports predictions for money would be allowed.
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Sports betting and daily fantasy sports have always been connected to some degree. That means the sports betting legislation that came to light in 2021 was particularly interesting to people in Florida. An amendment aimed to authorize daily fantasy sports, but this came with licensing fees, all sorts of extra fees for players, and an increased minimum age from 18 to 21. After considerable negative feedback, the amendment was withdrawn.
The Most Popular Daily Fantasy Sports Companies in Florida
Like in much of the United States, DraftKings and FanDuel are the two dominant names in daily fantasy sports. They offer a range of games from guaranteed price polls to 50-50 contests. They also offer the most variety of sports with their company.
Is Sports Gambling Legal in Florida?
Sports betting in Florida has received a lot of focus over the last few years. Daily fantasy sports companies like FanDuel and DraftKings have sportsbooks now, so can they operate in the state? The thought was that Florida would cash in on the opportunity, but as of early 2023, that’s not been the case.
The Seminole Tribe at the Hard Rock in Florida tried to operate a sportsbook app starting in late 2021. They thought mobile Florida sports betting would become legal, but they shut down just a couple of months after launching. They were the only ones to test some of the legislative moves made by the state of Florida in 2021 to soften the legal issues of betting.
Traveling to nearby states to legally bet on sports isn’t an option either. Tennessee and Louisiana serve as the closest states to offer legal sports betting online and in person. Unlike a lot of states, there isn’t an option to drive across the Florida border to place a wager since the state does not border any legal states.
The Future of Daily Fantasy Sports and Sports Betting in Florida
It seems like Florida is following the trends of many other states as far as daily fantasy sports and sports betting is concerned. Eventually, there will likely be opportunities for people to place sports bets legally in the state. It’s just a matter of how much people push for results.
Daily fantasy sports continue to be very popular, and they help provide an alternative to sports betting. Florida is one of the most popular states for daily fantasy, and a lot of that comes down to the sheer amount of people who live in the state.