You’ll find no shortage of live poker rooms in Florida. There are more than 25 of them that offer various poker cash games and tournaments. You can even play World Poker Tour (WPT) tournaments.

So, it’d be nuts for us to suggest that playing poker online is the only option. It’s not. That said, there are many benefits real money online poker offers that live poker does not. And you can enjoy these perks so long as you join one of the best Florida poker sites.

RankDE Gambling SiteExclusive BonusProductsGet Started
#1Las Atlantis280% Up To$14,000
  • Casino
Visit Site Las Atlantis
#2Super Slots300% Up To$6,000
  • Casino
Visit Site Super Slots
#3BetUS125% Up To$3,125
  • Sports
  • Casino
Visit Site BetUS
#4MyBookie50% Up To$1,000
  • Sports
  • Casino
Visit Site MyBookie
#5BetNow100% Up To$1,000
  • Sports
  • Casino
Visit Site BetNow

We’re going to talk about the perks of using the top poker sites in our guide below. We’ll also discuss the biggest reasons why you should play poker online in Florida.

Real money online poker is legal in six states in the US right now: New Jersey, Nevada, Michigan, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Gaming regulators in each state are responsible for overseeing the industry, issuing regulations, enforcing the law, and granting licenses to potential operators. New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Delaware are each home to at least one currently active poker. When you join one of the top USA real money online poker sites listed on CardsChat.com, you will find lots of easy-to-beat players. You can use simple and secure banking options such as credit &. This online poker casino lets you play poker online for real money. It’s consistently rated as one of the best online poker sites for US players. The reason why it’s rated as one of the best online poker sites.

After that, we’re going to answer the most common questions we’re asked about playing real money poker in Florida. This includes where you can play live dealer poker, the types of MTTs you can play online, and more.

But before we get to any of that, we’re going to take a minute to talk about the best Florida online poker sites we recommend.

You expect live poker rooms to be safe and spread a fair game. Why would you expect anything different from your online poker site?

You shouldn’t. You should join only the highest-rated poker sites for Florida.

You can try to find a site on your own, but this can take you weeks and hundreds of dollars, if not more. Wouldn’t you rather find a safe site now without spending a dime?

That’s why you should join one of the FL poker sites we endorse.

We’ve researched and tested dozens of online poker sites, weeding out the weak links.

The remaining sites, the best Florida poker sites, are the ones you see on this page.

Those are just words, though. So, let’s dive a little deeper. The next section will show you what we look for and consider in every online gambling site we review, rate, and endorse.

We won’t recommend a real money gambling site until we fully review them. The first area we start with is their company.

Here are the questions we try to answer during this phase.

Do they have a gambling license?
We make sure the site has a current and valid gambling license. And we check to see if they’ve ever had it suspended or revoked and why.
Do they have a good reputation?
It’s important that the room has a reputation for treating players fairly and paying them quickly.
Do they have a variety of US-friendly banking options?
Our favorite option is Bitcoin, but credit and debit cards, money transfers, and bank wires also work.
How do they offer customer support?
We want to see whether they offer live chat, phone, and/or email support. And we test at least one option to see how well their support responds.

This is important. We won’t recommend a poker site (or any type of gambling site) that doesn’t meet our standards during this phase.

Once we’re done here, we move on to their poker room. Here are the questions we ask during this phase.

Do they have any poker promotions?
We look for standard offers like a deposit bonus and cashback, as well as unique promos like leaderboards and huge guaranteed tourneys.
What poker games and variants can you play?
Poker sites that offer more than just Texas Hold’em or just guaranteed tournaments gets extra credit with us.
What stakes can you play for?
We prefer sites that offer microstakes starting at $0.01/$0.02 or $0.02/$.05 per hand and tournament starting at around $1. And we look to see what the highest stakes you can play for is and whether those games see any action.
Legal
How much traffic does the poker site get?
We want to know how many people, on average, visit the site to play for real money. The more players, the better.
How is their software?
We test their games to see if they lag or have any bugs. We want to see if the graphics are easy on the eyes. This is important since you’ll be staring at them for hours.
What features do they have?
We look for options like four-color decks, odds calculators, hand histories, and the ability to change how the tables and cards look.

The answers we come up with tell us whether we’ll have a good time playing here or not.

This wraps up our review phase. All the questions and answers we used and found are published to our website so that you can learn the nitty-gritty for all the major real money US poker sites online.

We then take the best of the best and rank them in order, starting with the ones we suggest you join first. The finished product is what you see on this page.

That’s a brief overview of our process. As you can see, we don’t promote just any online poker site for FL. A lot of time, money, and effort goes into our recommendations.

And that’s how you know you can trust our recommendations for the best Florida poker sites.

Five Reasons to Play Poker Online in Florida

Here are five reasons why you should play poker online in Florida.

Online poker rooms offer promotions just like land-based cardrooms. You’ll find guaranteed tournaments, leaderboard competitions, bad beat jackpots, cash races, and more.

But there’s one promotion you can only get online — the deposit bonuses.

A deposit bonus is an offer where the site matches a percentage of your deposit. For example, claim a 100% match bonus and the poker room will give you $1 for every $1 you deposit.

A deposit bonus is as close to free money as you’ll ever get if you’re a breakeven or profitable player.

2Play Multiple Tables at the Same Time

Another reason to play online is so that you can multi-table. That’s how you play more than one table or tournament at the same time. Many of our recommended FL poker websites let you play 3-4 cash games and 10-15 MTTs at the same time.

Why is this a good thing? It can help prevent boredom. Good players fold more hands than they play. Playing more than one table gives you more playable hands per hour.

Another reason to multi-table is to increase your hourly rate. Even if your win-rate or ROI takes a slight dip, you’ll still earn more money per hour because of the volume of hands you’re playing.

Florida Online Poker Laws

You also get through variance faster. It’s totally normal to lose 20 MTTs in a row. This might take weeks to accomplish playing live. But you can get through this in a matter of days or a couple of weeks online.

3Choose From a Larger Variety of Games and Variants

Every live poker room in Florida offers Texas Hold’em. Some even offer games like Omaha, Stud, or Pineapple. But that’s it.

The variants are largely the same too. You can play guaranteed MTTs, knockout tourneys, deep stacks, turbo blinds, and that’s about it.

Online poker rooms don’t have to worry about space, so they can offer a larger variety of poker games and variants, even if they’re not popular. This means you’ll find additional games like Five-Card Draw and Razz, as well as variants like heads-up, double or nothings, hyper turbos, and more.

This is huge.

If you have ever played live poker, you know how much it can cost. MTTs are usually $50 to $200, not including rebuys or add-ons. Cash games will set you back $200 to $400 for one buy-in (and you should bring two to three buy-ins with you).

Not everyone can afford this. And if you can’t, and you play anyway, you won’t play your best because you’ll play scared poker. You’ll play not to lose rather than play to win.

This is another reason why we recommend you play online poker in Florida. You can find cash games for less than $0.10 per hand. And you can play MTTs for less than $5.

You can start with a bankroll as little as $5 to $20, which is impossible to do live.

5Poker Made Easier Thanks to Software

Another reason why we like online poker so much is the software. It makes playing poker so much easier. There’s less work for you to do.

Here’s how software helps.

  • It tells you how much each bet is and how much money is in the pot.
  • You can use a four-color deck so that it’s easier to spot flushes and draws.
  • You can pick a permanent seat at the table.
  • Many poker rooms have a “quick seat” feature so you don’t have to scour the lobby for games.
  • Poker software allows you to download your hand histories so that you can study them later.
  • You can replay past hands, which is helpful if you’re a forgetful person.
  • Good poker software allows you to jot down notes and tag other players.

Overall, online poker is great for so many reasons. Especially when you stick with the top FL poker sites that we recommend. It’s convenient, budget-friendly, offers a variety of action, and so much more.

We can’t think of a good reason why you wouldn’t want to play online.

Is poker illegal in Florida?

No, you can play poker legally in cardrooms and casinos throughout the state.

There’s also no law that prevents you from playing real money poker online in Florida.

There are several cardrooms, casinos, racetracks, and racinos that offer poker in Florida. Here are a few examples.

  • Big Easy Casino (Hallandale, FL)
  • Casino Fort Pierce (Ft. Pierce, FL)
  • Daytona Beach Racing and Card Club (Daytona Beach, FL)
  • Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
  • TGT Poker at Racebook (Tampa, FL)
  • The Casino at Dania Beach (Dania, FL)

There are many more venues, too, and of course you can play online at any of our top-rated FL poker sites.

Yes, both the Hollywood and Tampa Hard Rock locations offer poker.

Between them, you’ll find more than 90 poker tables where they spread Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Seven-Card Stud. They also host WPT regional tournaments.

What is the best online poker site for real money?

It depends on the games and stakes you want to play for. It also depends if you’re a recreational player who wants to play on anonymous tables or if you want to play on regular online tables.

Our advice is to sign up at a few of our recommended poker sites for Florida and get a feel for them yourself.

Anonymous tables use numbers or some other method for identifying players instead of screen names.

Sites that use anonymous tables don’t allow you to use heads-up displays like Poker Tracker, and you’re not allowed to take long terms notes either. Poker rooms do this to prevent stronger players from targeting the weaker ones.

What’s the best banking option for online poker players in FL?

We recommend using Bitcoin for the following reasons.

  • Anonymity
  • Fast payment processing
  • Low minimum and high maximum limits
  • No fees
  • Nearly every real money US poker site accepts it

If you don’t have or don’t want to invest in Bitcoin (or any cryptocurrency), we recommend you use credit and debit cards.

This depends on the site and the banking option you use.

Most FL poker sites will pay Bitcoin out the same day once they approve the cash-out (which can take a couple days). Bank wires can take five to seven days once approved. Checks can take as long as 15 business days.

Real Money Online Poker in Florida

That wraps up our Florida online poker guide. We answered your most common questions, gave you some excellent reasons why you should play real money poker online, and showed you the best Florida poker sites.

All that’s left for you to do is choose a poker room to join, create your account, and make a deposit. Then, you’ll be ready to play your favorite cash games and MTTs from wherever you are in Florida.

Can You Play Online Poker in Florida?

Florida is one of the famous destinations in the United States that currently ranks alongside Nevada, California, and New Jersey when it comes to playing poker. The Sunshine State is a top hotspot as tons of in-person poker rooms offer an incredible gambling experience. But there are no state-licensed online poker operators, as of 2020. It is somewhat shocking to say that the state has not legalized online poker as of yet.

In fact, Florida laws do not mention online gambling at all. There have been many attempts to legalize online poker in Florida. The most notable was in 2012 when the National Council of Legislators encouraged the idea.

But these efforts were short-lived. Lawmakers could not even agree to legalize online lottery ticket sales. However, avid poker Floridians often take advantage of the US states with legal online poker. If you’re planning to play poker online from the US, make sure you flock to the most trusted and licensed brands. It’s worth taking a look at our top legal online poker sites in the United States.

By sticking with legit poker sites, poker fanatics can have a better shot at fair games and secure banking that offer quick money access. Moreover, legal US online poker sites also go out of their way to reward newbies. This can include free money just for creating a new account. We will discuss everything in detail about laws regarding online poker in FL.

Summary of Florida Gambling & Poker Laws

Florida does not regulate online gambling within the state lines. At present, the only form of legal online gambling is horse racing. Although there are tons of casinos and live poker rooms in the state, steps taken toward online gaming failed to yield any outcome yet.

Poker is legal only at racinos, a combination of race tracks and casinos, and Seminole-operated land-based casinos all across the state. Pari-mutuel betting on dog racing, horse, and jai alai is permitted. We have reviewed the quick summary of Florida online poker and gambling laws below:

  • Online Poker/Gambling - Currently, there exists no regulated gaming or online poker in Florida. The National Council of Legislators tried hard to change laws for online poker in 2012 and beyond. However, lawmakers were not interested in stretching gambling beyond the land-based Indian casinos and racinos. It is unlikely that Florida will legalize online poker in the years to come.
  • Live Poker - There are tons of live poker rooms in most of the casinos in Florida. But it is allowed legally at the racinos and the Indian casinos.
  • Casinos - Florida allows casino games and as a result one can find tons of world-class brick and mortar casinos. However, card rooms are regulated by the state law and only pari-mutuel style wagering is allowed. Other gambling devices are also prohibited. In addition, gaming laws also limit casinos to Indian reservations.
  • Sports Betting - At present, local sportsbooks are illegal in Florida. However, FL gambling laws don’t ban placing bets at licensed offshore sites.
  • Fantasy Sports - DraftKings and FanDuel, at present, accept players from Florida legally and permit fantasy sports betting.
  • Esports - Esports lovers can play electronic sports only at the offshore gambling platforms.
  • Other Gambling Options - Horse, lottery, dog racing, charitable games, pari-mutuel horse betting

History of Poker and Online Poker in Florida

Florida has an impressive history when it comes to poker laws. Since Europeans first settled onto the land of Florida, gambling existed as a part of their culture. Gambling was legalized in the 1900s. Much of its early history says that lawmakers kept banning all new land-based casinos around the state. They also placed certain limits on the amount that a gambler could risk while playing. Seminole lands and tribal management also played a big role in keeping the casinos limited.

In early 2011, Joseph Abruzzo introduced an online poker bill - HB 77. It is made to regulate intrastate real cash poker sites online throughout the state. At the time, people were enjoying legal Internet poker.

After introducing UIGEA in 2006, operating a FL real money poker site or online poker room was against federal law. His main aim was to pass this bill by March 2011. But again, it failed to accomplish its legalization of online poker in Florida.

Abruzzo tried again to get the Internet gambling and poker betting bill through in 2012. But due to the rejection from the Seminole tribe, efforts to legalize online gambling failed. During that time, Florida started Internet café gambling. This allowed avid players to go online and access real cash poker sites in public places.

Online Poker in Florida

Before picking any online poker room in Florida, it is essential to understand the legality of online gambling and Florida online poker rooms. Many believe that it is illegal for Florida poker players to play Internet poker. But no law technically addresses online poker.

Online Poker Real Money In Florida

However, there aresome laws that loosely touch on the idea of online gambling. The primary one is the gambling definition itself -

The inclusion of card games could apply to card games played online too.

Despite this, many residents still turn to online gambling. But as far as we know, no player has ever been prosecuted for playing online poker in FL.

Is Online Poker Legal in Florida?

Poker

“Is playing poker online legal in Florida?” is the common question in the mind of enthusiastic players. The state has plenty of poker rooms, but Florida has not legalized online poker yet.

Yes, the state is still struggling to get real money poker online and real money online casino games permitted. There may be some movement in recent years to give gamblers positive hope.

The state laws against gambling have never been enforced against online poker games, specifically. Moreover, no federal laws ban any person from playing online poker at a poker site.

Earlier, The Wire Act was enforced for online gambling operators. But after the revaluation of the Wire Act laws in 2011, it exempted poker, lotteries, and other gambling forms. It means this act just applies to sports betting today. Till Florida becomes a fully legal state, playing free online poker at real money websites remains a great option for poker lovers.

Where Can I Play Online Poker Legal in Florida?

Florida doesn’t permit operating online casinos. At the same time, the state doesn’t restrict bettors to play at an online casino. As such, Floridians looking for playing online poker in Florida legally can explore venues that accept deposits from customers from Florida.

To play poker games via online poker platforms one can easily find tons of sites that have opened their doors to poker fanatics living anywhere within Florida. Users can enter any live poker room they want. For players looking for real money poker sites, one can check out operators from states that have legalized online poker. You can findreal money poker sites legally in four current legalized states - New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

Ensure that you check the background information of the Internet poker platform before participating in any poker activity. Legal poker operators offer fully enjoyable poker playing sessions. Don't forget to claim your mega-sized online welcome poker bonuses.

Where Does Florida Offer Legal Online Gambling?

Residents from Florida have access to the tons of land-based gambling already. But when it comes to legal online gambling in Florida, there are limited options available today. Florida doesn’t offer state-sanctioned online gambling options.

However, since the state law doesn’t outlaw or regulate online casinos and real money bets, Floridians can play online poker and gamble with offshore casino and sports betting sites. Players can access online sites that accept US-based customers and also note Florida as a safe state.

Today, many top-rated off-shore online gambling sites permit bettors to bet on their favorite games online legally. They can also play free games on their mobile at any time and using any device. We suggest downloading ourbest mobile poker apps for 2020.

Will Florida Regulate Online Poker?

Florida has introduced a new gaming bill, SBP7082. This bill tries to make changes in the way gaming is regulated in the state. For example, it relaxes standards to run live poker rooms in Florida. But it doesn't address the problem of regulating online gambling. No momentum at present suggests that online poker will be regulated within the state. Moreover, the complicated gambling laws mean that regulated and completely legalized online poker in Florida is a long way off.

Currently, online poker in Florida is not legal. As per Section 849.08, unregulated gambling in Florida is illegal and considered a second-degree misdemeanor. Current Florida law describes illegal gambling as:

“Any person that plays or engages in any gambling activity like roulette, cards, keno, faro, or other games of chance, at any place and using any device shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree.”

There have been many discussions going on for a few years now regarding regulations for Florida online poker. These discussions are continuing even today. Therefore, we can say that an online poker bill may be introduced in the coming years, but nothing is imminent. There may be opposition from land-based gambling operators who may fear that online poker in Florida or online gambling may mint money.

But that will not be a problem. With more than 18 million population, Florida is the third most populous state in the USA. Many Floridians also love online gambling, mainly online poker. Thus, the market will be a big hit there if the state regulates online poker.

US Poker Laws 2020 - Florida FAQ

Can I Play Online Poker in Florida?

Currently, no. Online poker has not been legalized in the state of Florida as of yet.

What is the Minimum Age for Gambling in Florida?

Floridians can start gambling at land-based casinos as they turn 18. The only exception includes table games and slot games. For this, a gambler must be a minimum of 21 years of age.

Can I Play on PokerStars in Florida for Free?

Yes. Plenty of things had changed since April 15, 2011, when US officials enforced the UIGEA Act of 2006. They put online poker in the US in lockdown.

Since then, many states have released gambling rules that allow operators (including PokerStars) to provide poker games online to US players. Today, you can play poker games on PokerStars from the United States if you are in the right state and download the right client.

But, if you want to play poker games for free, you can freely use the PokerStars Play free platform. But players can't access the real money games if you are residing within the state's borders.

What Happens if I Use a VPN to Play Online in Another State?

The use of VPNs to play on regulated international platforms is not a good idea. It is because it can expose tons of legal problems. The money you make a deposit or withdrawal will result in many issues coming your way.

Moreover, the operator can prohibit all your profits and shut down your account if they found you gambling illegally. Users may also face banking problems regarding using these websites from an unregulated jurisdiction.

What Happens if I Play on an Illegal Poker Site?

Playing at an unregulated offshore website is completely illegal in Florida. These sites also don’t face the same regulations and laws as those in legal jurisdictions. When players use them, security is always a big issue.

Real Money Online Poker In Florida

Plenty of players have struggled while withdrawing and recovering funds. Players also face legal repercussions. That is why it’s best to choose a licensed, legal, and regulated real-money sites. It is because they regularly monitor gambling activities and ban any fraudulent Florida online poker activity.