Efforts to limit internet sweepstakes casinos and non-tribal phone sports betting in Florida were thwarted this week when two draft bills were set aside indefinitely and removed from the legislative agenda. This move is a temporary victory for proprietors of internet sweepstakes websites that have fought to evade stricter restrictions on electronic gaming.
Key Takeaways
- Florida lawmakers have withdrawn bills aimed at restricting sweepstakes casinos and non-tribal sports betting
- SB 1404 and HB 1467 would have expanded the Seminole Tribe’s gambling monopoly
- Critics celebrated the bills' failure as a win for innovation, competition, and consumer choice
Senate Bill 1404 (SB 1404), sponsored by Senator Corey Simon, aimed to ban online sweepstakes casinos and restrict online gambling activity not covered under Florida's exclusive compact with the Seminole Tribe, which owns the Hard Rock gaming brand. The bill was generally seen as an attempt to fortify the tribe's monopoly on online gaming by excluding outside competition.
The bill was sidelined when a revised bill failed to pass the Senate Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government. This effectively shelved the bill for the current session unless Governor Ron DeSantis asks for an extension or a special legislative session.
SB 1404 not only sought to quell competition from sweepstakes operators, who conduct business through promotional contest laws in a bid to stay within the law, but also acted as a move towards broadening tribal iGaming in the state under Hard Rock branding.
Critics resisted the bill, arguing that such actions stifle innovation and constrain consumer choice.
The Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA) further stated that the bill's defeat shows a campaign against restrictive gambling laws and toward consumer freedom.
Sports betting control effort also misses
The other bill, House Bill 1467 (HB 1467), focused on banning mobile sports betting beyond the Hard Rock platform. It concentrated on levying criminal penalties for such a practice and closing lobbying loopholes with the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC). The bill further sought to establish a mandated waiting period before former members of the FGCC could be hired by sports betting or fantasy sports operators.
HB 1467 also asked to include daily fantasy sports (DFS) under the authority of the FGCC, an effort to place an industry operating in the state's legal gray areas under regulation. While the bill passed through several committees, it stalled in the Commerce Committee after a barrage of amendments raised concerns and made it harder to pass.
The bills' sponsors kept the regulations necessary to protect consumers and preserve Florida's compact with the Seminole Tribe. However, critics warned that the proposals would restrict market competition and concentrate too much authority on one tribal operator.
Even though the bills are temporarily shelved, they could be brought back if Governor DeSantis opts to extend the legislative session. Meanwhile, the SPGA has termed the developments a resounding success for consumer rights and innovation.
