Florida Lawmakers Move to Ban Online Sweepstakes Gaming

Florida’s latest effort to tighten control over digital gambling has drawn immediate opposition from the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA), underscoring a widening divide between lawmakers, tribal interests, and social gaming operators.

House Bill 591, filed this week by Rep. Berny Jacques, proposes broad restrictions on Internet-based gambling. The 86-page bill would classify online casino-style sweepstakes games as illegal gambling by defining them as any chance-based digital activity that awards money or items of value. Games modeled on slots, video poker, or table games would be treated as third-degree felonies for operators. The legislation carves out a notable exception: gambling activities conducted under the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s compact. The exemption reaffirms the Seminoles’ exclusive rights over casino gambling, a central feature of Florida’s gaming framework and a key factor in the bill’s reach.

Beyond restricting sweepstakes-style platforms, HB 591 would tighten rules on gambling advertisements, block local governments from regulating gambling at the municipal level, and introduce steep penalties for equipment violations. Trafficking slot machines could carry a first-degree felony charge and fines of up to $500,000.

The SGLA, led by Executive Director Jeff Duncan, has challenged the bill’s scope. The group argues that legal sweepstakes operators already follow Florida’s consumer-protection and financial-compliance rules, distinguishing their business models from offshore gambling sites. Duncan said the industry supports regulation but contends HB 591 conflates lawful social gaming with criminal activity.

Our members fully comply with Florida law, and HB 591 unfairly conflates lawful social gaming with illegal gambling.

The Future

If passed, the bill could limit prospects for any future statewide online casino market unless operated by the Seminole Tribe. Market analysts say the enforcement measures could shift players toward less regulated offshore platforms or into tribal gaming channels, altering both consumer behavior and competitive dynamics. HB 591 now enters the committee process, where industry groups, tribal representatives, and lawmakers are expected to debate how far the state should go in reshaping its digital gambling landscape.