Florida Files Second Major Anti-Gambling Bill, as Lawmakers Move Toward Full-Scale Crackdown

Florida lawmakers have introduced a second sweeping anti-gambling bill, signaling a broader push to tighten criminal penalties, target unregulated operators, and consolidate control over the state’s gambling landscape.

The new proposal, HB 591, touches on multiple areas of Florida’s gambling statutes, from slot machine possession to online wagering, illegal gambling facilities, advertising, and even transporting people to gambling venues.

It comes about two weeks after HB 189, another measure that attempts to criminalize non-tribal online and land-based gambling, except for daily fantasy sports.

Together, the two proposals signal that Florida is preparing for a renewed crackdown on unregulated gambling.

HB 189: From Illegal Machine Parlors to Internet Gambling Ban

HB 189 was the first shot. First filed to focus on illegal gaming rooms and arcades, an amendment approved on November 17 transformed it into a comprehensive online enforcement measure.

The amended HB 189:

• “Internet gambling” is defined broadly to include casino-style games offered online and accessible via mobile devices or computers.
• “Internet sports wagering” covers online bets on human or animal contests.
• Participation becomes a misdemeanor, while operators face felony penalties for conducting or promoting illegal internet gambling.
• DFS is explicitly exempt, ensuring that fantasy contests are not treated as illegal wagering.
• Seminole-compact gaming is exempt, preserving the current Hard Rock Bet structure.

HB 189 now targets two fronts at once: the long-running fight against gray-market machine parlors and the online gambling ecosystem that exists outside the Seminole Tribe’s compact.

HB 591: A Second, Broader Enforcement Package

The 86-page HB 591 goes far beyond online wagering or machine parlors. The bill reconstructs large portions of Florida’s gambling code and dramatically raises penalties.

Key elements include:

• Reaffirming and expanding the internet-gambling ban, with felony penalties for operating, conducting, or promoting unauthorized online gambling.
• Criminalizing gambling-related advertising, including online postings, printed materials, and announcements promoting illegal gambling or internet gambling.
• A new first-degree felony for slot-machine trafficking. It’s triggered when someone knowingly sells, transports, or delivers 15 or more machines, with fines up to $500,000.
• Reclassifying traditional gambling offenses into more severe felonies, including keeping a gambling house, renting property for gambling, or acting as an employee or agent.
• Creating a crime for transporting groups to illegal gambling locations, with enhanced penalties when there’s involvement of minors, seniors, or 12 or more people.
• Statewide preemption prevents cities or counties from passing their own gambling rules and strengthens the Florida Gaming Control Commission’s authority.
• New bail considerations tied to seized currency, treating large sums as an indicator of criminal activity.

If HB 189 modernizes online and land-based enforcement, HB 591 attempts something far larger: a comprehensive update to Florida’s code intended to eliminate the gray-market ecosystem, from online casinos to strip-mall gaming rooms.

Sweepstakes-Casino Operators Push Back

The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA), a trade group representing sweepstakes-casino operators, quickly criticized HB 591. In a public response, the organization argued that the legislation misclassifies sweepstakes-style platforms. That way, it risks pushing legitimate businesses out of the state rather than regulating them.

The group has been campaigning for Florida to legalize and regulate sweepstakes casinos. SGLA cites an economic-impact report projecting more than $1 billion in annual player purchases statewide. It argues that the state could collect over $70 million annually if it regulates the sector.

The SGLA maintains that “Social Plus” gaming is a distinct product category. It argues that its product should not be categorized the same as illegal iGaming or offshore sportsbooks.

Growing Political Momentum for Tougher Gambling Penalties

Florida’s broader push to tighten gambling statutes is gaining momentum. The FGCC has also called for stricter penalties as it intensifies its enforcement crackdowns, reinforcing legislative concerns about widespread gray-market activity.

Recently, the state’s Attorney General, James Uthmeier, publicly endorsed efforts to increase penalties for illegal gambling. He cited concerns about unregulated gaming parlors, match-fixing risks, and the growth of online gray-market casinos that operate outside the scope of consumer-protection laws.