Illegal gambling remains widespread in Florida, yet efforts to combat it through legislation have stalled.
SARASOTA, Fla. – Julie Brown, chair of the Florida Gaming Control Commission, is acutely aware that illegal gambling options are often more accessible than the nearest Seminole Tribe casino for over 23 million residents of Florida.
The state is home to six casinos, including two prominent Hard Rock venues, which provide the only Vegas-style gaming in Florida, thanks to a 2021 agreement between the Seminoles and the state. However, during her keynote address at the North American Gaming Regulators Association conference last week, Brown stressed the necessity for lawmakers to implement stricter regulations to empower the FGCC in its mission to dismantle illegal gambling operations that proliferate across the state.
These illegal establishments are conspicuously present, with adult “arcades” filled with unlicensed slot machines occupying vacant storefronts in numerous underused shopping centers. When authorities conduct raids, the owners simply relocate to new locations.
Additionally, illegal offshore gambling websites are rampant. Social media platforms are inundated with ads for casino and lottery sites that blatantly misuse the branding of Hard Rock and the Florida Lottery, falsely claiming that online casino gambling is legal in Florida — which it is not — and secretly directing users to servers based in the Caribbean.
A report from the American Gaming Association in 2022 estimated that illegal gambling operators amassed a staggering $511 billion in the U.S. that year, with Florida's share exceeding $4 billion from illegal online casinos alone.
In a message to patrons in 2025, Brad Rhines, general manager of Miccosukee Casino & Resort, cautioned, “These misleading advertisements pose risks to consumers. Our top priority is to safeguard our brand's integrity and maintain our guests' trust. We want to clarify — Miccosukee Casino & Resort does not run any online gambling platforms.”
With approximately 48,000 unregulated gambling devices believed to be in operation in Florida, David Hoenemeyer, COO of Seminole Gaming, reached out to customers in 2025 to inform them about the widespread illegal gambling occurring in the state. “You may have seen news reports about the rise of gaming arcades, slot parlors, or internet cafes that have emerged in various regions of Florida. These are all illegal gambling operations, posing a threat not only to unsuspecting customers but to everyone,” he stated.
Last year, Florida had roughly 23,000 legal slot machines across properties owned by the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes, as well as eight regulated pari-mutuel venues.
Challenges Surrounding Charitable Halls
Although increased enforcement actions, such as the cleverly named Operation Reel of Fortune, have temporarily closed some retail arcades, Brown argues that state laws need to support these efforts. Several bills aimed at strengthening gambling regulations — including proposals to elevate the penalty for operating illegal slot machines to a third-degree felony — have stalled in the legislature. Political analysts suggest this is largely due to the complex nature of gambling legislation in the state.
One such bill, HB 189, made it through two readings in the House but lost momentum after legislators expressed concerns in committee about its potential effects on charitable halls, particularly those affiliated with veterans, which would have required inspections to verify the legality of their machines. While bill sponsors are seeking ways to enable charitable halls to raise vital funds for their communities, they are also mindful of the significant financial contributions from the Seminole Tribe, which amounts to over $750 million annually in revenue sharing, and the prevailing view that these machines are illegal under state law.
“It’s crucial to avoid treating different parties differently,” Brown concluded.