• Florida lawmakers are pushing HB 953 and SB 1404 to criminalize sweepstakes gaming, with harsh penalties for operators and participants.
• The bills leave the Seminole Tribe’s exclusive gaming compact untouched, raising concerns about a potential monopoly over online gambling.
• Similar sweepstakes bans are being introduced in Mississippi, Maryland, and Connecticut, suggesting a coordinated effort to restrict competition.

TALLAHASEE, Fla. – Florida lawmakers are once again making waves in the gambling industry, this time with an aggressive push to criminalize sweepstakes gaming. But this move is part of a broader nationwide trend that suggests a deeper agenda—one that could ultimately consolidate control over gambling in the hands of a select few while wiping out competition.

Sweepstakes Gambling on the Chopping Block

Two newly introduced Florida sports betting bills—HB 953 and SB 1404—aim to outlaw “internet gambling” and “internet sports betting,” effectively banning all sweepstakes gaming in the state. Sponsored by Rep. Webster Barnaby (R-29) and Sen. Corey Simon (R-3), both HB 953 as well as SB 1404 seek to classify operating, promoting, or even assisting in sweepstakes gaming as a third-degree felony.

Violators could face up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines.

The proposed law is written so broadly that it covers nearly every participant in the industry, from legal online sportsbooks and vendors to payment processors and even media affiliates.

But there’s a notable exemption: the Seminole Tribe’s gaming compact with Florida, which remains untouched, preserving their exclusive rights to offer legal sports betting and casino games in the state.

A Nationwide Crackdown on Sweepstakes Gambling

Florida isn’t alone in its sudden hostility toward sweepstakes gaming. Similar bans are being pushed in Mississippi, Maryland, and Connecticut.

• The Mississippi Senate recently passed SB 2510 in a 51-0 vote, upgrading sweepstakes gambling from a misdemeanor to a felony, with violations carrying fines up to $100,000 and 10-year prison sentences.
• Maryland lawmakers introduced SB 860 and HB 1140 to give regulators the power to deny gaming licenses to any entity connected to sweepstakes gaming.
• Connecticut’s SB 1235 seeks to prohibit unlicensed participation in simulated online casino games and sports betting.

This sweeping crackdown across multiple states suggests that lawmakers aren’t just reacting to consumer protection concerns—they’re responding to pressure from powerful gaming interests that want to monopolize the online betting space.

The Seminole Tribe’s Quiet Power Play?

One of the biggest questions surrounding Florida’s sweepstakes ban is how it could set the stage for a future expansion of legal online casinos (iGaming) under the Seminole Tribe’s monopoly.

The last time Florida imposed stricter gambling laws was in 2021, during the same legislative session in which the Seminole Tribe’s sports betting compact was approved. That deal granted the tribe exclusive control over online sports betting and led to an assumed billions in revenue.

And this came immediately after Florida voters approved Amendment 3 in 2018 – hilariously called “Voter Control of Gambling in Florida” – which required any gambling expansion to go through a statewide referendum. But these potential laws would bypass that process entirely—giving lawmakers and the Seminole Tribe the power to reshape the industry without public approval.

There is a belief that history could repeat itself. A new deal between the Seminole Tribe and Governor Ron DeSantis could be imminent, expanding their control over iGaming under the guise of “consumer protection.”

If that happens, the current sweepstakes crackdown could be just the first step in securing a future where only the Seminoles can legally operate online casinos in Florida.

A Broader Anti-Gambling Movement?

Adding to the chaos, Florida’s gambling restrictions arrive just as other states attempt to roll back their own online gaming laws. Vermont and Maryland introduced bills to repeal online sports betting in their markets, despite the millions in tax revenue they generate.

While these bills have little chance of passing, their mere existence signals growing resistance to widespread online gambling.

If Florida’s latest ban is successful, it could embolden other states to follow suit, cutting off independent gaming operators while consolidating power among a few government-approved entities.

News tags: Amendment 3 | Connecticut | Corey Simon | CT SB 1235 | FL HB 953 | FL SB 1404 | Florida | Maryland | MD HB 1140 | MD SB 860 | Mississippi | MS SB 2510 | Ron DeSantis | Seminole Tribe of Florida | Vermont | Webster Barnaby