The US is the largest market for casino gambling worldwide. It holds more than 400 million Americans gambling in casinos with real cash for profits. However, in the United States, gambling isn’t regulated on a federal level but at state levels. With that established, you might want to confirm if gambling is legal in Tampa Bay.
One thing to realize about betting with real money in Florida is that while gamblers can bet on poker platforms in Florida, they’re not regulated or legalized within the state. You can click here for more information about top online poker sites in the US.
This article will discuss the present legal status of online poker in the Sunshine State.
Is Online Poker Legal in Tampa Bay?
The online gambling industry in Florida isn’t regulated or considered legal. According to the state government, gambling is seen as playing any game of chance or card game, by any device and at any place within the state, for monetary profit or anything of value.
Therefore, most kinds of gambling are banned in Florida, except for an excluded group of gambling. One of such exemptions is the Florida Lottery.
What Types of Gambling are Permitted in Florida?
Generally, the state of Florida has legalized a few pari-mutuel gambling, such as state-licensed cardrooms, horse racing, land-based casinos owned by Native Americans, interstate games, and state-operated lotteries like the Powerball, and other social casino games.
Florida Poker Laws
The poker laws in Florida are not new, as the state has provided legal poker opportunities for decades. Initially, the government aimed to curb and control the games, ensuring they were small by limiting the amount of money gamblers were allowed to risk.
Then, the low-stakes local casino games in 1989. In their new law, gamblers could now play ‘penny-ante’ games in private locations so long as the stakes weren’t more than $10. This law was later considered very useful when one whole county known as Broward County legalized poker games in 1994. Broward hosted the state’s foremost casino, the Seminole Casino Hollywood (later renamed Seminole Classic Casino).
In 1996, poker gambling was legalized across horse Jai-atai frontons, kennel clubs, and tracks in the Sunshine State, with the $10 limit still in check. Later in 2003, the regulations concerning card rooms evolved, and the $10 pot limit eradicate. Moreover, users had a maximum of $2 per bet and were permitted a maximum of three raises for each wagering round.
Then, the “poker boom” came into the picture during the mid-2000s, causing an increase in the number of poker rooms in Florida. In addition, casino operators and gamblers argued strongly for a change of wagering restrictions.
Eventually, some break-through came in 2007, when the state lawmakers passed a law that enabled gamblers to play a limitless hold ’em, yet still in a restrictive way. While the new law eradicated the pot sizes limit, it brought in a $100 max buy-in limit. With these restrictions in play, several hold’em players fought hard for an update in the law to favor their cause.
In July 2010, the buy-in regulation was taken away, enabling gamblers in Tampa Bay to gamble without restrictions on the buy-ins, pot sizes, or bet sizes.
What about Local Casino Games: Are They Legal?
Local poker card rooms in Tampa and other locations in Florida are legal. This implies that gamblers can now go to stand-alone casino establishments and play their favorite poker game. While we’ve established all these, it’s important to state that land-based card rooms— especially those run by the state government — are legal and permitted to run fully.
In addition, the large majority of poker rooms in Tampa — and all around Florida allow gamblers to play games while staking variable amounts. Also, most card rooms operate daily, weekly, and monthly tournaments to encourage users to indulge more often.
What’s the Future of Online Casinos in Tampa, Florida?
Florida, the third most populated state in the US, currently hosts several massive poker rooms, making it one of the most favorable locations for outsiders to visit. Furthermore, Florida provides its 21.5 million population with a large collection of games, several betting options, and other functions like Live Poker.
Therefore, the Sunshine State is currently one of the friendliest and most promising states in the US for the gambling industry. Interestingly, the state still legalizes wagering on dog racing, horse racing, bingo, and jai-alai, among others. We hope that the online casino industry in Tampa Bay and all of Florida will find full expression, encouraging lawmakers of other states to legalize casino gaming.
The Bottom Line
Gambling in Tampa isn’t entirely legal. While some specific types of gambling, such as online poker, are considered illegal within the state, others are legal.
Thus, gamblers should be very careful with the type of gambling they engage in within the Sunshine State to ensure compliance with the laws of the land.