There are a few legitimate online casinos in Florida which allow you to legally play from your phone. The Hard Rock Bet and HorsePlay online casinos accept real-money wagers, BetRivers.net is a free to play social casino. Our experts break down how each Florida online casino works, plus everything you need to know about online casino games like slots, roulette and blackjack in Florida.
RTP: 97.31%
Payout: Around 2 days
Games: 150+
RTP: N/A (free play)
Payout: N/A (no-cash-out)
Games: 700+
RTP: 96.22%
Payout: Instant-48 hours
Games: 20+
97.31%
RTP
HorsePlay is a strong fit if you want a full casino-style lobby and a bigger welcome match. You’ll find slots, hold and win titles, jackpot games, and free spins games, plus table-style options like QuickBet Roulette and Video Poker, all playable for real money. Here’s how it works: you buy credits with a cash deposit, and each credit places a real wager in a pari-mutuel horse racing pool. The games then reveal your result, so you don’t need to know anything about racing to play.
The welcome offer is a 100% match up to $250 in Bonus Credits, and weekly tournaments carry prize pools of up to $5,000. Withdrawals usually arrive in around 2 days, support is available 24/7 through live chat, and responsible gaming tools let you set limits, take a timeout, or self-exclude.
Read review
Online Casino Expert
Pros
Biggest deposit match of any Florida online casino, up to $250
Weekday cashback of 15% on net losses, up to $150, plus regular leaderboard tournaments
24/7 live chat support, with an iOS app rated 4.4 on the App Store
Cons
Welcome bonus carries a 10x playthrough requirement
No live dealer games
N/A (free play)
RTP
BetRivers.net is the easiest way to try casino games in Florida without risking a cent. It’s a free-to-play social casino from Rush Street Interactive, the company behind the BetRivers sportsbook and casino brands. You get 250 virtual credits (VC$) just for signing up, with more on offer through daily rewards like the Spin to Win wheel and free bingo.
The library runs to around 700 games, including slots, jackpot titles, table games, and live dealer tables from Evolution, plus a social sportsbook. Virtual credits can’t be cashed out, but with that much choice and daily rewards topping up your balance, BetRivers.net still delivers hours of casino fun. There’s no dedicated app, but the mobile browser site works well on iOS and Android.
Casino Expert
Pros
Completely free to play, with no deposit needed to get started
Daily rewards include a Spin to Win wheel, free bingo, and regular top-ups of free credits
Live dealer games from Evolution available
Cons
No cash prizes, unlike Hard Rock Bet and HorsePlay, the only two options here where you can win real money
No dedicated app
96.22%
RTP
Hard Rock Bet is a great pick for Florida casino players, and it’s easy to see why. It’s run by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the tribe behind the Hard Rock casinos in Hollywood and Tampa, and it’s the only legal online sportsbook in the state and home to casino-style games you can play for real money. Since late October 2025, the app has also come with a Games lobby full of slot-style titles, including Cash Eruption, Cleopatra, and Rising Rockets Emperor.
These games look and feel like online slots, but every result is based on real, historical motor races instead of a random number generator. That’s how Florida law lets them sit under sports betting. Bets start at $1, and new players can choose between a $100 Games Bonus on a $10 deposit or up to $250 back on losses. You can also claim the sportsbook welcome offer on the same account.
Online Casino Expert
Pros
Only legal online sportsbook in Florida, backed by the Seminole Tribe and the Hard Rock brand
Popular slot titles like Cash Eruption and Cleopatra that you can play for real money in Florida
App rated 4.9 on the App Store and 4.7 on Google Play
Online banking withdrawals can land instantly
Cons
Around 20 slot-style titles for now, though Hard Rock Bet says more games are being added to the library
Games are only available while you’re physically in Florida, so the lobby won’t work if you travel
Florida doesn’t license traditional online casinos, so new launches are rare. The most recent arrival is the Games lobby at Hard Rock Bet, which went live in October 2025 and is only available in Florida.
A handful of new online casinos launch across the US every year, but only a few of them are open to Florida players. Take a look at how our three Florida options compare by launch date:
Max Brimmer
Casino Expert
8 reviews written for Casino.us
Hard Rock Bet and HorsePlay both work in a way that’s new to most players. Instead of a standard random number generator, results come from real race outcomes. It sounds complicated, but in practice you pick a game, set your bet, and the result is revealed just like on any slot.
Florida players can find slot-style games at Hard Rock Bet and HorsePlay, while BetRivers.net offers hundreds of casino games to play for free. Between the three you’ll find slots, table-style games, video poker, and live dealer tables, including titles from some of the world’s best online casino software providers. You can even try a few here before you pick a casino. Game lineups differ at each casino, so check the lobby before you play.
Hard Rock Bet and HorsePlay are open to players aged 21 or older. Hard Rock Bet’s Games are only available in Florida, while HorsePlay operates in around 18 states. BetRivers.net is free to play, but each casino sets its own age rules, so always check the terms before you sign up.
You do not need to be a Florida resident to play, however you will need to be physically located within state lines. Both Hard Rock Bet and HorsePlay use geolocation checks every time you log in, so make sure location services are switched on. If you’re travelling outside Florida, you won’t be able to place wagers on Hard Rock Bet’s Games.
Florida has a combination of state-licensed wagering and tribal gaming. Outside of tribal land, the state allows pari-mutuel wagering at race tracks as well as licensed card rooms for poker and other card games. A number of pari-mutuel facilities are also licensed to offer slot games or card rooms; these are usually called racinos. These facilities are regulated by the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC).
Sports betting in Florida is legally controlled by the Seminole tribe. This includes online sports betting, which is currently limited to Hard Rock Bet. Traditional real-money online casinos that run on random number generators are not currently licensed or permitted in Florida, which is why the options on this page work differently. Hard Rock Bet’s Games are offered as a form of sports betting under the tribe’s compact because they’re based on past motor races. HorsePlay works through advance deposit wagering on pari-mutuel horse racing pools, which falls under the federal Interstate Horseracing Act. BetRivers.net doesn’t involve real-money wagers, as you play with free virtual credits.
The Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) regulates all gambling in Florida. This agency is led by a five-member committee appointed by the governor. The FGCC works with the governor’s office, the Florida Attorney General, and other state agencies to investigate and enforce violations of Florida gambling laws.
There are three excellent online casino options available to players in Florida. Finding the one that suits you is easy, especially with the help of our expert guides. We’ll tell you what you need to know to get started and what you can expect when playing at Hard Rock Bet, HorsePlay, or social casino BetRivers.net.
Hard Rock Bet and HorsePlay both check your age, identity, and location before you can play with real money, so it helps to have a few things ready. You’ll need to be 21 or older, physically in Florida, and have the last four digits of your SSN, a photo ID, and a debit card or bank account to hand.
At BetRivers.net, you just register and confirm your details. Your 250 free VC$ are credited to your account, and no deposit is needed.
Casino-style games come with a range of ongoing promotions, so it pays to check the promotions page after you’ve claimed your welcome offer. Real-money casinos tend to reward deposits, while BetRivers.net hands out free virtual credits so you can keep playing for fun without spending anything.
The welcome offers are familiar to most players, however there are several other typical bonuses you’re likely to encounter in Florida. These are some of the most frequently used promos available:
Jordan Marley
Casino Expert
31 reviews written for Casino.us
These bonuses are offered by most casinos, but there are a few unique promos if you want something different. HorsePlay’s Weekday Get Back gives you 15% of net losses back from Monday to Thursday, while Hard Rock Bet lets you pick the bonus structure that suits how you play.
Florida’s casino-style options work differently from the regulated online casinos in states like Michigan and New Jersey. At Hard Rock Bet and HorsePlay you fund your account with cash, and you can withdraw your winnings back to a real payment method. At BetRivers.net you play with free virtual credits, so no payment is needed at all.
Both real-money options provide simple and secure payment methods. These can vary between casinos, and in most cases you’ll need to withdraw to the same method you used to deposit.
The table below highlights the minimum deposit, withdrawal speed, and common payment methods at each casino:
Our experts rate and review many excellent online casino options. However, not all casinos meet our rigorous rating standards, and unlicensed offshore sites are the biggest risk for Florida players. Here is a site we would not recommend to you.
Did you have an issue with a casino?
Your experiences matter to us and we take safe and fair playing practices seriously. Please reach out if you have been impacted negatively by an online casino.
Max Brimmer
Casino Expert
Santa Venera, Malta
Max has had a long history of writing in professional contexts, including journalism, cultural commentary, marketing and brand content, and more. Her career has led her through interesting industries such as technology, film, and television before finally landing in the iGaming industry in 2014.
View Max's reviews
Cole Rush
Casino Expert
Chicago, Illinois
Cole Rush is a freelance writer with a player’s perspective. After spending six years at a slot machine and lottery provider, Cole went freelance to cover all the nooks and crannies of the gambling world, with a particular proclivity for covering the weird and wacky whenever he can. Cole specializes in player-focused reviews that provide an honest perspective on what it’s actually like to play at any given gambling or gambling-adjacent site.
View Cole's reviewsFlorida’s first casino establishment opened in Tampa back in 1887. In-person gambling was eventually criminalized and then re-legalized.
Online gambling has a bit of a similar story. Like most states, online gambling was illegal in Florida until 2018, when the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, allowing states to legalize sports betting if they choose.
Governor Ron DeSantis entered into a gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe in 2021 to give them the exclusive right to operate online sportsbooks in the state. This agreement was challenged by private sector companies less than two years later, however the compact was upheld by a federal appeals court in 2023. That compact is the reason Hard Rock Bet is the only legal online sportsbook in Florida today.
Here are some other significant events in Florida’s complicated gambling history:
Slot machines and other forms of gambling are made illegal in Florida.
Bingo is legalized with limits on bingo winnings.
Florida voters vote against amending the state constitution to legalize gambling.
The Seminole Tribe challenges bingo limits and begins hosting high-stakes bingo games.
Voters again reject an amendment to legalize gambling in Florida. However, voters did approve the creation of the Florida Lottery.
President Ronald Reagan signs the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act into law, giving the Seminole Tribe the right to operate video lottery slot machines, poker tables, and other previously banned forms of gambling.
Florida voters finally approve a constitutional amendment to allow slots and other casino games at non-tribal casinos.
Governor Ron DeSantis agrees to a gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe to legalize sports betting in Florida.
Federal appeals court upholds Seminole Tribe compact following challenges from private sector competitors. Hard Rock Bet goes live in Florida in December.
Hard Rock Bet launches Games powered by Past Motor Racing in October, the first casino-style product on a Florida betting app.
The legislative session ends in March without passing any bill to license online casinos.
In states that have legalized online casinos, state gambling regulators are able to award licenses to approved operators who offer real-money play. Since traditional online casinos are not licensed in Florida, the legal options work within the state’s existing gambling framework instead. However, this does not stop illegal offshore entities from trying to promote unregulated casinos to players in Florida.
Although Florida’s online gambling laws don’t allow traditional online casinos, three options operate within the state’s existing rules. Hard Rock Bet offers slot-style Games as a form of sports betting under the Seminole compact. HorsePlay uses pari-mutuel horse racing pools to power its casino-style games. BetRivers.net sidesteps the question entirely by letting you play for free with virtual credits.
Sites offering real-money casino games in Florida without a licence are not regulated in the state. This means that there is no player protection and no recourse if anything happens to your funds or your private data. Likewise, if the site shuts down suddenly, there’s no regulatory body to ensure you’d get your money back.
While there are many sites claiming to offer real-money wagers in states where online casinos are illegal, we would not recommend them to any players. You are far better off playing at Hard Rock Bet, HorsePlay, BetRivers.net, a licensed racino, or a tribal-owned land-based casino.
There are currently close to 40 gambling facilities in Florida which are licensed to offer some kind of casino or pari-mutuel betting, as defined by the Florida Gaming Control Commission. Some of these are casinos licensed with the Seminole or Miccosukee tribes, while others are former or current racetrack facilities with licenses to operate slots, card tables, or both.
Some of the most prominent casinos in the state are listed below:
With a massive 245,000 square-foot gaming floor, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa is one of the top ten biggest casinos in the US. It’s not empty space, either. The casino has over 5,000 slot machines, twice as many as the second-biggest casino in Florida. It’s run by the same Seminole Tribe that owns Hard Rock Bet.
Speaking of the second biggest casino in Florida, that title goes to Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. This Broward County casino is an iconic South Florida location thanks to its guitar-shaped hotel and 100-acre grounds, which contain multiple pools, resort amenities, and the actual 150,000-square-foot casino.
There are many casinos in the Miami metro area, but there is only one, Casino Miami. This casino shot onto the scene in 2012 as a Miami Jai-Alai. It’s had a bit of a turbulent history since then, with Jai-Alai no longer being played in the former area. However, it’s still one of the most popular casinos in Florida due to its 1,000 games and great location.
Not in the traditional sense. Florida has legalized online sports betting, but the Sunshine State legislature has not licensed online casinos. For now, Hard Rock Bet, HorsePlay, and BetRivers.net are the three online options we recommend for casino-style play in Florida.
Yes. Hard Rock Bet is run by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and its Games are offered as a form of sports betting under the tribe’s compact with the state. HorsePlay places wagers in pari-mutuel horse racing pools under the federal Interstate Horseracing Act. Both require you to be 21+ and physically in Florida.
Hard Rock Bet, HorsePlay, and BetRivers.net are our experts’ picks for the best Florida online casinos. Keep in mind that none of them are traditional state-licensed online casinos. Hard Rock Bet and HorsePlay accept real-money wagers, while BetRivers.net is free to play.
Generally speaking, yes. Hard Rock Bet is run by the Seminole Tribe and is the only legal online sportsbook in the state. HorsePlay is an established brand in more than 18 US states with thousands of players, and holds official horse racing licenses in all the states they are operating in. The parimutuel casino games Horseplay is offering are provably fair and it is safe to deposit and withdraw money at the online casino.
Yes! New players can claim a welcome offer at all three casinos. BetRivers.net gives you free virtual credits without a deposit, while Hard Rock Bet and HorsePlay offer bonuses when you make your first deposit. Check the terms on each offer, including wagering requirements.
Have more questions?
We’re here to help you
