Florida Statute Slot Machine

A slot machine, as defined by section 849.16, does not have the quality of possible innocence.' Thus, the court determined that, in contrast to those devices described in section 849.231, Florida Statutes, slot machines (as defined in section 849.16, Florida Statutes) are unlawful regardless of whether they are actually used for gambling. “There is no specific constitutional or statutory authority for Gadsden County to act on the subject of slot machine gaming,” Justice Charles Canady wrote in Thursday's 16-page main opinion. In Attorney General Opinion 98-39, this office was asked whether the seizure and destruction of slot machines as defined in section 849.16, Florida Statutes, should be governed by the procedures outlined in sections 849.38-849.45, Florida Statutes, or by the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act, sections 932.701-932.707, Florida Statutes. See Florida Statutes 626.886; Slot machine revenues: means the total of all cash and property, except nonredeemable credits, received by the slot machine licensee from the operation of slot machines less the amount of cash, cash equivalents, credits, and prizes paid to winners of slot machine gaming. See Florida Statutes 626.886. Section 551.103 - Powers and duties of the division and law enforcement Section 551.104 - License to conduct slot machine gaming Section 551.1045 - Temporary licenses.

2019 Florida Statutes

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Chapter 849GAMBLING

SECTION 15Manufacture, sale, possession, etc., of slot machines or devices prohibited.

F.S. 849.15 849.15 Manufacture, sale, possession, etc., of slot machines or devices prohibited.—(1) It is unlawful:

(a) To manufacture, own, store, keep, possess, sell, rent, lease, let on shares, lend or give away, transport, or expose for sale or lease, or to offer to sell, rent, lease, let on shares, lend or give away, or permit the operation of, or for any person to permit to be placed, maintained, or used or kept in any room, space, or building owned, leased or occupied by the person or under the person’s management or control, any slot machine or device or any part thereof; or

(b) To make or to permit to be made with any person any agreement with reference to any slot machine or device, pursuant to which the user thereof, as a result of any element of chance or other outcome unpredictable to him or her, may become entitled to receive any money, credit, allowance, or thing of value or additional chance or right to use such machine or device, or to receive any check, slug, token or memorandum entitling the holder to receive any money, credit, allowance or thing of value.

(2) Pursuant to section 2 of that chapter of the Congress of the United States entitled “An act to prohibit transportation of gaming devices in interstate and foreign commerce,” approved January 2, 1951, being ch. 1194, 64 Stat. 1134, and also designated as 15 U.S.C. ss. 1171-1177, the State of Florida, acting by and through the duly elected and qualified members of its Legislature, does hereby in this section, and in accordance with and in compliance with the provisions of section 2 of such chapter of Congress, declare and proclaim that any county of the State of Florida within which slot machine gaming is authorized pursuant to chapter 551 is exempt from the provisions of section 2 of that chapter of the Congress of the United States entitled “An act to prohibit transportation of gaming devices in interstate and foreign commerce,” designated as 15 U.S.C. ss. 1171-1177, approved January 2, 1951. All shipments of gaming devices, including slot machines, into any county of this state within which slot machine gaming is authorized pursuant to chapter 551 and the registering, recording, and labeling of which have been duly performed by the manufacturer or distributor thereof in accordance with sections 3 and 4 of that chapter of the Congress of the United States entitled “An act to prohibit transportation of gaming devices in interstate and foreign commerce,” approved January 2, 1951, being ch. 1194, 64 Stat. 1134, and also designated as 15 U.S.C. ss. 1171-1177, shall be deemed legal shipments thereof into this state provided the destination of such shipments is an eligible facility as defined in s. 551.102 or the facility of a slot machine manufacturer or slot machine distributor as provided in s. 551.109(2)(a).

History.—s. 1, ch. 18143, 1937; CGL 1940 Supp. 4151(405-a); s. 1367, ch. 97-102; s. 2, ch. 2005-362; s. 156, ch. 2007-5; s. 11, ch. 2007-252.

Introduction to Florida Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Florida slot machine casino gambling consists of eight pari-mutuel racetracks in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, seven tribal casinos, senior center amusement arcades, multi-day cruise ships with onboard casinos, and day-long gambling boats.

I’ve dedicated this weekly series to slot enthusiasts such as yourself as you master casino slots and win your way to success by using this State-By-State Online Resource to improve your slots gambling performance by reviewing your state’s slots gaming industry.

Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Florida*

Florida Statute Slot Machines

The minimum legal gambling age in Florida depends upon the gambling activity:

Land-Based Casinos: 21
Poker Rooms: 18
Bingo: 18
Lottery: 18
Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18

State gaming regulations have authorized slot machines at pari-mutuel wagering racetracks in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. These counties contain the cities of Miami and Fort Lauderdale in southern Florida.

Coin-operated amusement machines at senior center arcades are not slot machines and fall into the same category as pinball machines, shooting galleries, music machines, and video games.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in Florida

In Florida, it is legal to own a slot machine privately if it is at least 20 years old.

Gaming Control Board in Florida

The gaming control commission is the Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering within Florida’s Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR).

Overall, the DBPR authorizes, regulates or provides oversight for Florida’s gaming industries of:

Pari-mutuel wagering at racetracks
Cardroom games

There are over three dozen pari-mutuel wagering facilities in Florida for which the DBPR is responsible, including the eight sites with slot machines. The DBPR does not regulate bingo, the Florida Lottery, coin-operated amusement machines, or day-long casino boats.

Historically, Florida has a long history of gambling, starting 100 years before gaming became legal. For example, at his first hotel, the Ponce de Leon in St. Augustine in 1888, Henry Flagler created the exclusive and famous Bacchus Club Casino.

Tribal gaming originally arrived in Florida with the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988. With it, Florida’s two federally recognized American Indian tribes opened casinos offering Class II bingo-style gaming.

Eventually, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has negotiated a tribal-state compact allowing them to offer Class III Vegas-style gaming at their seven casinos.

However, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida has not completed their gaming compact negotiations, limiting them to Class II bingo-style gaming machines at their single casino.

Casinos in Florida

There are eight pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines, seven American Indian tribal casinos, and two daily casino cruise ships based in Florida.

The largest casino in Florida is Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa with 5,000 gaming machines.

The second-largest casino is Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood with 3,100 gaming machines.

Commercial Casinos in Florida

Eight pari-mutuel racetrack and wagering sites in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties hosting Miami and Fort Lauderdale offer slot machines, including:

The Big Easy Casino in Hallandale Beach.
Calder Casino in Miami Gardens.
Casino Miami in Miami.
The Casino @ Dania Beach in Dania Beach.
Gulfstream Park Casino in Hallandale Beach.
Hialeah Park Racing & Casino in Hialeah.
Isle Casino Pompano in Pompano Beach.
Magic City Casino in Miami.

Tribal Casinos in Florida

The seven tribal casinos are in southern Florida are:

Florida Statute Slot Machine Free

Miccosukee Resort & Gaming in Miami, 24 miles west of downtown Miami.
Seminole Casino Brighton, 135 miles south of Orlando.
Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, 25 miles north of Fort Lauderdale.
Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee, 35 miles northeast of Naples.
Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood, 1 mile south of Fort Lauderdale.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, 1 mile south of Fort Lauderdale.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, 80 miles southwest of Orlando.

Other Gambling Establishments

As an alternative to enjoying Florida slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Florida is:

North: Georgia Slots
North and West: Alabama Slots
Southeast: Puerto Rico Slots and U.S. Virgin Islands Slots

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state or territory to Florida.

Besides multi-day cruise ships with onboard casinos sailing to international destinations, there are two day-long casino cruise boats with onboard Vegas-style gaming available in Florida:

Tropical Breeze Casino in Port Richey, 37 miles northwest of Tampa.
Victory Casino Cruises in Port Canaveral, 60 miles southeast of Orlando.

Our Florida Slots Facebook Community

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Florida? If so, join our Florida slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to freely join this closed Facebook Group community.

There, you can meet online and privately share your slots experiences with local slots enthusiasts about playing slot machines in Florida. Join us!

Payouts and Returns in Florida

Florida’s pari-mutuel wagering sites with slot machines in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties have a minimum theoretical payout of 85%. Return statistics by month and tribal casino are publicly available by dividing Credits Out by Credits In and multiplying by 100%.

For October 2020, the monthly player win percentages were:

The Big Easy: 91.9%
Calder Casino: 91.1%
Casino Miami: 92.7%
The Casino @ Dania Beach: 92.2%
Gulfstream Park: 91.6%
Hialeah Park: 94.0%
Isle Casino Pompano: 90.3%
Magic City: 93.4%
All: 92.4%

For October 2020, the highest return, again, went to Hialeah Park, with 94.0%, again closely followed by Magic City at 93.4%. The lowest return, also again, went to Isle Casino It’s return was 90.3%.

Florida’s tribal compacts do not require theoretical payout limits on their slot machines, nor do they required to make return statistics publicly available.

Summary of Florida Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Florida slot machine casino gambling consists of eight pari-mutuel racetracks in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties hosting Miami and Fort Lauderdale, seven tribal casinos in southern Florida, senior center arcades with amusement machines, multi-day cruise ships with onboard casinos to international destinations, and several day-long gambling boats which sail to international waters before gambling can commence.

Annual Progress in Florida Slot Machine Casino Gambling

In the last year, Seminole Casino Immokalee has slipped from second largest casino in Florida all the way to sixth place. Why? Because it did not increase in slot machines as had four other once smaller casinos.

Florida Slot Machines For Sale

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Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC

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