Florida Targets Offshore Casinos, Eyes Regulated iGaming

TALLAHASSEE, FL — On Monday, the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) ramped up its efforts to enforce state gaming laws by issuing cease and desist orders to three major offshore online casinos that have been accepting wagers from Floridian residents. The targeted operators include some of the most well-known names in the online gambling world, such as Bovada, MyBookie, and BetUS.

The action underscores the FGCC’s determination to curtail illegal online gambling in the state, even as it signals a potential shift toward legal, regulated online casino gaming in Florida’s future.
Cease and Desist Orders Target Offshore Operators

In a February 3 press release, the FGCC identified the recipients of the cease and desist orders: Milvus Ltd, doing business as BetUS.com.pa; Harp Media B.V., operating as Bovada.lv; and Gaming Services Provider, N.V., known for MyBookie.ag. All three are international companies that operate online casinos accessible to Floridians despite not being licensed by any US state or federal authority.

The FGCC’s warning was clear: these offshore gambling websites are committing felony offenses by accepting bets from Florida residents, as only Seminole Gaming’s licensed properties are legally permitted to offer slot machines and table games in the state. The commission’s statement directly pointed to these unregulated online platforms as violating Florida’s stringent gambling laws.

This latest enforcement action is part of a broader effort by the FGCC to curb what it perceives as illegal gambling activity. In 2023, the commission targeted “fantasy against the house” games in a similar push, continuing its commitment to ensuring that only state-sanctioned gaming entities operate within Florida’s borders.

A Complicated Landscape

While the Florida Gaming Control Commission is steadfast in its enforcement efforts, the task of regulating offshore operations remains a complex challenge. The recipients of the cease and desist orders—BetUS, Bovada, and MyBookie—are not registered in Florida or any other part of the United States, complicating direct legal recourse. Given that these companies operate from jurisdictions where US gambling regulations hold little sway, enforcing compliance can be difficult.

However, past actions by US state regulators suggest that international operators are not entirely immune to pressure. Harp Media, for example, has stopped accepting real-money wagers from residents in over a dozen US states, including several where similar cease and desist orders were issued. Despite this, the likelihood of swift action from these offshore operators in response to Florida's enforcement remains uncertain.

Indeed, some analysts predict that Florida’s relatively new gaming regulatory body will face an uphill battle in forcing these companies to comply. Unlike states with established frameworks for regulating iGaming, Florida’s legal landscape is still evolving, and the relationship between the FGCC and the state’s gaming operators is still being defined

The FGCC’s action also comes amid growing signs that Florida is preparing for a potential shift toward regulated online casino gaming. In 2024, court rulings from both the Florida and United States Supreme Courts upheld the current framework for legal online sports betting in the state, giving the state’s gaming laws a solid foundation. This success has prompted discussions about expanding Florida’s gaming model to include iGaming, or online casino play, in the near future.

Jim Allen, the chairman of Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming, has publicly expressed interest in expanding the gaming compact between the state and the Seminoles to include iGaming. Such a move would require several steps, including the drafting of a new amendment to the existing compact, approval from the Florida Legislature, and a final green light from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Should the compact be amended to allow for online casinos, Seminole Gaming’s Hard Rock Bet would likely be the sole legal platform in Florida, mirroring the current situation with online sports betting. The state would also stand to benefit from a share of the revenue generated by such a monopoly, which would give the FGCC additional motivation to protect the interests of Hard Rock Bet and prevent the proliferation of unregulated offshore operators.

While the timeline for a potential regulated iGaming market in Florida remains uncertain, the FGCC’s recent cease and desist orders provide a glimpse into the commission’s priorities as it aims to ensure that the state’s gaming laws are respected. As the debate over the future of online casinos in Florida continues, both the state’s regulators and its residents will be watching closely to see whether legal online gaming will eventually become a reality.

 

These overseas bookmakers and casinos are committing felony offenses by accepting wagers from Floridians, as only Seminole Gaming’s licensed properties are legally authorized to offer slots and table games in the state.

 

The Future

For now, however, the offshore casinos that have been accepting Florida players may find themselves under increased scrutiny. And as the FGCC works to solidify its enforcement capabilities, the prospect of a regulated and state-controlled online gaming market could become an increasingly important piece of Florida’s gaming puzzle.

The recent actions by the Florida Gaming Control Commission are part of a larger effort to curtail illegal gambling within the state and set the stage for future regulatory changes. As Florida continues to grapple with the complexities of regulating international gambling operators, the push for legal online casino play may very well become the next frontier in the state's gaming evolution. Whether those changes will arrive soon or take years to materialize remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the battle over Florida's online gaming future is only just beginning.