Florida House Panel Advances iGaming Bill Focused on Integrity

A Florida House subcommittee has advanced a broad gambling package that would create new felonies tied to match-fixing, define daily fantasy sports contests and strengthen enforcement against illegal gambling machines. The move positions lawmakers for a wider debate over sports betting integrity and gaming rules when the 2025 legislative session begins in January.

The House Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee approved the proposed committee substitute for HB 189 on Tuesday. The nearly 100-page proposal would reshape several areas of state gambling law, with its most significant changes aimed at sports integrity.

New Felonies on Match-Fixing and Bribery

HB 189 introduces a series of felony offenses related to fixed sporting events. The bill would make it a felony to place a wager with knowledge of a fixed result, to conspire or attempt to bribe someone to influence a game, or to accept such a bribe. The timing follows last month’s arrest of Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier in an FBI investigation involving alleged sports betting misconduct. Lawmakers did not directly discuss the case, but the proposal aligns with increased scrutiny of match-fixing risks nationwide.

The measure now moves to the Commerce Committee and the Criminal Justice Subcommittee.

The panel advanced the bill with little debate, and national gambling industry representatives did not attend the hearing. Several Florida-based nonprofit groups—including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and the Florida Moose Association—testified in opposition. They argued the proposal still lacks clarity on charitable gaming despite agreeing with the goal of reducing illegal gambling. Bill sponsor Rep. Dana Trabulsy told colleagues she is open to changes and intends to work with affected groups as the bill progresses.

HB 189 would formally regulate daily fantasy sports operators, which currently operate in a legal gray area in Florida. The bill defines fantasy contests as paid-entry games where participants control simulated sports teams. It specifies that outcomes cannot rely on a single athlete’s statistics and prohibits contests involving college athletes. The Attorney General’s Office issued cease-and-desist letters earlier this year to Betr, PrizePicks and Underdog for offering prop-style games that regulators considered unlicensed sports betting products.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida declined to comment on the pending legislation but maintains support for eliminating illegal gambling. The Seminoles hold exclusive rights to sports betting under the state’s compact, which also authorizes their Las Vegas-style casinos. That exclusivity has been a barrier for commercial operators; FanDuel and DraftKings spent nearly $40 million on a failed 2022 ballot initiative to open the market.

The goal is clear definitions and stronger enforcement across the board.

Enforcement Changes and Illegal Machines

Beyond fantasy sports and match-fixing, the bill updates sections of law involving live racing taxes and defines penalties for illegal online gambling and sports betting outside the tribal compact. A similar enforcement bill was shelved earlier this year.

HB 189 also proposes stronger penalties for illegal slot machines. Carl Herold, law enforcement director for the Florida Gaming Control Commission, told lawmakers last week that misdemeanor charges are insufficient and that the commission needs more authority to deter unlicensed machine operators.