Florida Horse Racing Betting

Florida is a horse racing stronghold in the US with an embedded racing culture and some of the country’s most prestigious race tracks. Whether it’s attending the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park that interests you or placing wagers from the comfort of home, the Florida horse racing betting scene has something for fans of all appetites.

In-person and online racing betting are both legal in Florida. Wagers may be placed in-person at any licensed racetrack, through many off-track betting facilities (OTBs), and online via mobile betting sites headquartered in the USA.

Online Horse Racing Betting in Florida

Advance-deposit wagering (ADW, legal parlance for online betting) is legal at the federal level, while individual states are free to regulate or prohibit the activity as they see fit. Florida parimutuel wagering law does not specifically address online racing betting one way or another, but multiple betting sites operate openly in Florida without issue:

TwinSpires $200 Deposit BonusBonus Code: BET200 Claim Now
AmWager $150 Deposit Bonus MatchPromo Code: BUSA150 Claim Now
Iron Bets Racing 50% up to $300Iron Bets Racing Promo Code: BUSA Claim Now

Florida Statutes § 550.155 (1) states racing betting is “allowed within the enclosure of any pari-mutuel facility.” As counterintuitive as it seems, Florida officials actually interpret state law as authorizing ADWs licensed in other states.

Lawmakers have shown some interest in formally legalizing, regulating, and taxing ADWs, but efforts to that end have made little progress to date.

Florida Racetracks

Five major race tracks call Florida home, and all offer other forms of gaming to go along with racing. Under Florida law, pari-mutuel facilities such as race tracks and jai alai frontons may offer poker tables. Parimutuel facilities in Broward and Miami-Dade counties may also offer slot machines.

  • Gulfstream Park
  • Gulfstream Park West
  • Hialeah Park
  • Tampa Bay Downs
  • Harrah’s Pompano Beach

Off-Track Betting in Florida

Off-track betting facilities (OTBs) dot the landscape in Florida. There are enough OTBs in operation that the odds are you’re not too far from one, no matter where you may be.

  • BestBet Jacksonville
  • BestBet at Orange Park
  • Daytona Beach
  • Win Derby
  • Ebro Kennel Club
  • Flagler Greyhound Track & Magic City Casino
  • Ft. Pierce Jai Alai
  • The Big Easy
  • Club 52
  • Bonita Springs Poker Room
  • Ocala Gainesville Poker
  • Palm Beach Kennel Club
  • Pensacola Greyhound Track & Poker Room
  • One-Eyed Jack’s
  • Sanford Orlando Kennel Club
  • TGT Poker and Racebook

Horse Racing Betting Law

Florida horse racing betting law is codified under Chapter 550 of the Florida Statutes and Division: 61D of the state administrative code.

The Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering oversees horse racing betting and other forms of pari-mutuel wagering. This also includes jai alai frontons and poker rooms.

Greyhound racing was once authorized in Florida, but a ballot measure approved by voters in November 2018 initiated a ban on all live greyhound racing betting on 1 January 2021. Florida had 11 greyhound tracks at the time Governer Desantis signed the ban into law.

Major Horse Racing Events in Florida

Florida tracks host a number of important events throughout the year:

  • Florida Derby: Held annually at Gulfstream Park and is one of the signature events on the road to the Triple Crown.
  • Florida Oaks: 8.5-furlong turf race for three-year-old horses held each year at Tampa Bay Downs with a purse of $200,000.
  • Gulfstream Park Oaks: A 9-furlong Grade II dirt stakes race for three-year-old fillies held at Gulfstream Park.
  • Pegasus World Cup: Grade I stakes race with a massive prize pool open to 4yo+ runners at Gulfstream Park.
  • Tampa Bay Derby: Grade II stakes race held at Tampa Bay Downs is considered an official prep race for the Kentucky Derby.