A Florida court recently sided with state regulators to uphold the decision that “pre-reveil” electronic gaming consoles found at bars would be classified as illegal slots. The initial decision by the circuit judge was upheld by a three-judge panel in the First District Court of Appeals.
Despite previewing the results, the game is said to contain elements of coincidence, so the decision was made, and the use of RNG (random number generator) was also considered in this discussion. Slot bets are only permitted at state-licensed land casinos, not legal online business. However, offshore alternatives like Bovada are available.
Florida consumers are only prohibited from operating state lines, allowing Florida consumers to access offshore casinos. This means Floridians can play offshore casino licenses in other regions, and you can read more about these alternatives and their benefits here.
This could be good news for 15 casinos in the state that have an economic impact of around $13 billion, support nearly 73,000 jobs and generate more than $2 billion in tax revenue each year. In particular, the 35% Florida slot machine tax supports the Department of Education’s Education Extension Trust Fund.
The original decision to ban the game was challenged by developer Blue Sky Games and distributor Gator Coin. The latest ruling against the machine stated that slot machines can be defined by users who have won prizes of value by chance or unpredictability. The game before revelling shows the results of the first game in advance, but the results of subsequent games are not displayed.
Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper initially supported the Gator Coin and Blue Sky Game debate, but reversed his decision after the involvement of Florida Casino operators, Florida Casino.
This is not the first legal battle involving the Seminoles in relation to Florida’s gambling. The state’s compact with tribes in 2021 saw the legalization of online sports betting, and the Seminoles have teamed up with Hard Rock Bet to launch the app. The challenge was launched by racetracks and poker room operators in the state, claiming that the compact gave the tribe monopoly and violated India’s gaming regulations laws.
It is argued that gambling must take place on tribal lands, and online sports betting apps will violate this. The server works on tribal lands, but consumers can place bets anywhere in the state.
More challenges have arisen in recent months, with Protect Constitution LLC Group claiming that the compact violates the constitutional amendment made in 2018 and requires an expansion of casino gambling to pass the referendum.
While the legal disruption in Florida gambling has caused economic harm to operators, the possibility of a regulatory framework that covers all the foundations and provides the stability needed for growth is something Floridians can hope for in the future.
