Florida Orders Offshore Betting Sites to Cease Operations
In its latest enforcement action, the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) has issued cease-and-desist letters to several offshore gaming operators offering unauthorized wagering services to the state residents.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The recipients of the Commission's letters were Milvus, BetUS, Harp Media, Bovada, and MyBookie, all of which were found to have offered illegal gaming services, including sports betting, horse racing, and casino-style games, to individuals in the state.
The FGCC emphasized that the offshore casinos in question were offering or accepting bets on a variety of casino-style games, like slots, poker, blackjack, and roulette, without a license, which constitutes a criminal offense.
According to the regulator, tax revenue generated from licensed slot machine operators and revenue-sharing payments from the Seminole Tribe of Florida support state programs that benefit Floridians. However, revenue generated by offshore gambling operations offers no reciprocal benefits to the state or its residents.
Gaming, both land-based and online, is strictly regulated in Florida. For example, when it comes to slot machine gaming, counting the eight legal, state-licensed slot machine businesses and the six tribal gaming locations currently operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, there are only fourteen legal slot machine businesses in Florida. The only online sportsbook operating lawfully in Florida is the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Hard Rock Bet. Anyone in Florida betting on the Big Game needs to know this. Bettor beware.
Protecting Legal Bets Ahead of Big Game
The timing of the crackdown is strategic, coinciding with a peak period for sports betting, as bettors and sportsbooks prepare for Super Bowl LIX, set to kick off at the Caesars Superdome this Sunday.
As estimated by the AGA, the highly anticipated matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs will generate $1.39 billion in bets.
Unlike previous estimations where the association includes data from unregulated or illegal platforms, this year’s estimate was mainly based on historical records and trends of legal bets in US jurisdictions.
The FGCC aims to disrupt the illegal betting operations in its jurisdiction ahead of the Big Game and ensure that most of the bets on the match are placed through the only legal sportsbook in the state.
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Florida's War on Unlicensed Gaming Intensifies
The FGCC's compliance initiative also builds on ongoing efforts to combat unlicensed gaming activities in Florida. Last month, authorities raided an illegal gaming site near Orlando and seized $48,200 in cash from gambling activities involving 125 illegal slot machines.
A larger investigation, named “Fish & Chips,” conducted in recent weeks by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office led to the seizure of 263 gambling machines, $2.5 million in cash, luxury vehicles valued at $1.7 million, and additional assets worth $1.2 million. 12 people were also arrested during the raids.
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