Five Things You Need to Know About Florida Sports Betting, FL Online Sports Betting Apps

Florida is home to many great attractions as well as a good deal of disposable income that would seemingly pair perfectly with Florida sports betting. As more and more legal sportsbooks pop up across the country, the residents of the Sunshine State may wonder how they can get in on the action. There already are casinos in the state thanks to Native American initiatives, including the monstrous 27,000-square foot Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa. Here are five things you need to know about Florida sports betting and FL online sports betting apps.

1) Is Florida Sports Betting Legal?

Despite the state’s eponymous Florida Man memes that depict its perceived “devil may care” charms, the status of sports betting in Florida remains as murky as the swamps. Thanks to an Amendment, Amendment 3, approved by voters in 2018, any expansions of gambling in the state need to not only be approved but also initiated by voters. State representatives and senators have taken up the cause to tap into the untold riches that Florida legal sports betting can provide. But current casinos cannot expand their operations to include sports betting unless negotiated in their tribal-state compacts, the agreements that govern their ability to do business within Florida.

2) What Bills are Currently Before the State Legislature?

State senator Jeff Brandes introduced a trio of bills (S 968, S 970, S 972) and one specifically that would allow the state’s Lottery to regulate sports betting as one of the other options, aside from local tribes, who are exempt from Amendment 3. Political battles may ensure but currently it appears that the state’s best hope for future Florida legal sports betting lies with the Seminole and their power brokers.

3) What are the Next Steps for FL Sports Betting?

Despite the efforts and strides made by local Native American tribes as well as local politicians online sports betting in Florida as well as Florida mobile betting are unlikely to be available any time soon. If brick-and-mortar locations, likely Seminole-operated, are able to secure the ability to take bets, it’s plausible that Florida online sports betting could be not too far behind. But as of right now, online sports betting in Florida and the convenience of a Florida DK Sportsbook or FanDuel Sportsbook presence appears quite a ways off.

4) What are the Most Popular Teams to Bet on in FL?

Florida is a home to many major sports teams, having multiple professional teams in all of the four major North American leagues (MLB, NHL, NBA, NFL), and a slew of big-time college programs in both football and basketball. The NFL teams being the Jaguars, Buccaneers and Dolphins; the MLB teams being the Marlins and Rays; the NBA teams being the Heat, Magic; and the NHL teams being the Panthers and Lightning.

5) Is There Anything Else to Know About Florida Sports Betting?

For now, any bets placed will have to be between friends or “friends.” If the Seminole are able to negotiate a new tribal-state gaming compact, it’s likely their casinos would be the first to accept a legal bet in Florida. But there are significant hurdles to future accords. After a senator negotiated a new gaming compact for $500 million per year from the Seminole in return for the state addressing what they deem to be “illegal” card games offered at local race tracks, the deal was refused by Governor Ron DeSantis. In response, the Seminole have refused to stop payments of $350 million annually to the state until their issues are addressed.

With COVID-19 derailing most forms of business but particularly bumping down the importance of political machinations around Florida sports betting, there are a lot of hurdles to overcome. But perhaps with the losses of revenue and a need for priorities to be readdressed for all involved parties after the global pandemic, we could see the decision makers back at the table. Florida sports betting would be an asset to the state’s 22 million citizens – and certainly many power brokers’ pocketbooks – and the future is as open as ever.

What are the Most Common Types of Bets I Can Make in Florida?

Straight bet

This is the most common bet type and it is just a straight up single bet on a game. A point spread is determined by the oddsmakers with one team being favored by a certain amount of points. Let’s take a look at an example line below to give a clear indication of what a straight bet would be:

Boston Celtics -6.5 (-110), moneyline -320

at Cleveland Cavaliers +6.5 (-110), moneyline +260

O/U 206

The Celtics are favored by 6.5 points in this example. This means that if you bet the Cavaliers, you are getting 6.5 points, so if the Cavaliers win the game, or lose by fewer than seven points, you will win the bet because of your 6.5-point cushion. On the other side, when you are laying 6.5 points as the favorite, you would need the Celtics to win by seven or more to win the bet.

Final Score: Celtics 102 Cavaliers 98. Cavaliers would cover even though the Celtics won the game because the +6.5 point spread is enough to cover a four-point defeat.

Moneyline Bet

The moneyline is a bet where there is no spread; you are just picking the winner of the game. In the example above, the Cavaliers ML is +260, which means that for every $100 wagered, you win $260 if the Cavaliers win the game outright. They receive the plus side of the moneyline since they are the underdog and picking them rewards you with nice odds since they are projected to likely lose the game. On the flip side, if you bet the Celtics ML at -320, you have to bet $320 to win $100. They are the favorites so if you decide to bet the moneyline instead of the point spread, you are forced to bet additional money to win $100.

In the example above, the Celtics ML would be the winner as they won the game outright. The spread is irrelevant for a moneyline wager.

Over/Under

This is a straight bet wagering on how many total combined points will be scored in a game by both teams. For example, an NBA game may have an over/under of 210 points, which means that the oddsmakers are projecting a combined points total of 210 between the two teams. If you think the teams are going to score more than 210 points total, you bet the over, and conversely, if you think it’s going to be a defensive struggle, you can bet the under hoping that the total points scored equals 209 points or less.

Parlay

A parlay is a bet where you combine multiple bets into one bet and you get increased odds because you only win your parlay wager if all of your bets win. If you do a three-team parlay, you select three different teams from three different games and if you win all three of the bets you hit your parlay for longshot odds (6-1 so $100 to win $600). Going 0/3, 1/3, or 2/3 is all the same and you lose the parlay bet. It’s all or nothing which makes them tough to hit and is more of a home run type bet than a regular straight bet since there’s a chance for a big payoff.

Florida Sports Betting FAQs

  1. Is Sports Betting Legal in State?
  2. How Can I bet in state?
  3. Will Florida have Online Sports Betting or Sports Betting Apps?
  4. How Do I Open an Account?
  5. How Do I Deposit and Withdraw?
  6. Do I have to be in state to place a bet?
  7. What Games Can I bet on?
  8. What Companies Will be Offering Sports Betting?
  9. What Kind of Taxes Do I have to Pay?
  10. How Old Do I have to Be to Bet in State?
  11. What are the Betting Limits?
  12. Where Do I go if I have a problem?

Need more sports betting information? Check out the Awesemo betting home page.

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