Online Gambling License in Florida

The Florida Gaming Control Commission was created in May 2021 through Senate Bill 4. It is a five-member regulatory body overseeing all regulatory and executive powers of the state regarding gaming, including pari-mutuel wagering, slot machine facilities, cardrooms, gaming compact oversight, and other forms of gambling permitted by the state constitution or law.

The FGCC does not regulate bingo, cruises to nowhere, or the lottery. The FGCC’s mission is to preserve and protect the integrity of gaming activities in Florida through fair regulation, licensing, and efficient criminal investigation.

Types of Gambling Regulated by the Florida Gaming Control Commission

The Florida Gaming Control Commission regulates various types of gambling activities within the state. Specifically, it oversees:

Pari-mutuel wagering

The Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering is a program under the Florida Gaming Control Commission. It is charged with the regulation of Florida’s pari-mutuel, cardroom, and slot gaming activities and oversees the compact between the State of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. FGCC regulates pari-mutuel wagering to ensure that betting on games and races is fair and that operators run their businesses under state law.

Pari-mutuel wagering is authorized for horse racing, simulcast greyhound racing, harness horse racing, jai alai games, and cardroom poker games. There are currently six horse racing locations in the state. Cardrooms at authorized pari-mutuel facilities may offer a variety of cash games, including Texas Hold’Em, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, and other variations of poker, including poker games played in a designated player manner.

Slot Machines

In Florida, slot machines are heavily regulated by the Florida Gaming Control Commission. They are legal only in the eight pari-mutuel facilities in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties and at certain Indian tribal facilities. It is against the law to offer slot machine gaming at any unlicensed facility, including but not limited to bars, restaurants, gas stations, and adult arcades.

Any person who possesses a slot machine without the license required by Florida Statute is subject to an administrative fine or civil penalty of up to $10,000 per machine. The Seminole Tribe maintains a monopoly on slot machines and most house-banked table games outside the two counties mentioned where slots are allowed. Additionally, the tribe, through its revised 2021 Class III gaming compact, added the exclusive rights to sports betting, both in-person and online.

Florida Statutes require a slot machine facility to maintain a payout percentage of no less than 85%. FGCC employees regularly conduct audits and monitor licensed slot machines to ensure that this percentage is met.

Tribal Gaming

The Seminole Tribe of Florida is the only tribe in Florida authorized to offer Class III gaming. The Seminole Tribal Gaming Commission is primarily responsible for carrying out the tribe’s regulatory responsibilities under the tribal gaming ordinance, the compact, and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). FGCC manages the Seminole Compact and oversees tribal casinos. Two Native American tribes operate a total of 8 tribal casinos throughout the state.

Florida Gaming Control Commission Regulatory Framework

FGCC exercises all of the regulatory and executive powers of the state with respect to gambling. The Commission and its staff investigate and enforce violations of applicable pari-mutuel and gaming statutes.

FGCC’s Division of Law Enforcement targets illegal gambling activities occurring throughout the state. The FGCC is also in charge of licensing and ensures permit holders comply with Florida gaming laws. The Division does not license individual officers, directors, and shareholders of vendors but still requires them to submit a completed fingerprint card and a $43.25 fee with their initial application. Nonetheless, individual employees who require access to the gaming floor or gaming equipment may need to receive additional occupational licenses from the Division.

Entities that wish to provide goods or services to a horseracing facility in connection with cardroom activities must complete the Business Occupational License Application.

You must renew cardroom business licenses by June 30 of each year. When submitting application documents for a Cardroom Business License, you need to pay a $500 application fee. If you are applying to operate slot machines, you must include a $1,000 fee with your application.

FAQs about the Florida Gaming Control Commission