SB 1404 Florida Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Gambling

Summary

Gambling; Prohibiting certain employment for a specified timeframe before or during a person’s service with the commission; authorizing certain organizations, before purchasing, installing, or operating a game or machine on its premises and if in doubt about whether such machine meets the definition of an amusement machine, to petition the commission for a specified declaratory statement on whether the operation of such game or machine is authorized or prohibited; prohibiting betting on athletic contests with knowledge that the results are prearranged or predetermined; providing that a cardroom operator may limit the playing of any game to persons 21 years of age or older; prohibiting trafficking in slot machines, devices, or parts thereof, etc.

Bill status died 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 10, 2025 Last action Jun 16, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

S 1404 c1 → S 1404 c2 · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill significantly updates Florida's gambling laws by strengthening the Florida Gaming Control Commission's oversight, clarifying employment restrictions for commissioners and employees, and expanding criminal penalties for various gambling-related offenses. The bill also creates new statutes prohibiting trafficking in slot machines, regulating fantasy sports contests, and establishing preemption against local gambling regulations.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of gambling regulation to include new criminal offenses for trafficking slot machines, transporting persons to facilitate illegal gambling, and gambling advertisements, while also clarifying the applicability of existing laws to internet gambling and fantasy sports contests.

ELIGIBILITY

Employment restrictions for Florida Gaming Control Commission members and employees were strengthened to include a 2-year prohibition on holding gaming permits or licenses before and during service, with expanded definitions of ineligible activities including fantasy sports and betting operations.

ENFORCEMENT

New criminal penalties were created for trafficking in slot machines (felony of first degree for over 15 machines), transporting persons to facilitate illegal gambling, and making false statements about slot machine legality.

New preemption provision was added to prevent counties and municipalities from enacting ordinances relating to gaming, gambling, lotteries, or related activities, reserving regulation authority to the state.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements were added for slot machine licensees to create written policies for minority vendor and employee opportunities, drug-free workplace programs, and annual reporting on minority compliance.

New procedures were established for veterans' service organizations to petition the Gaming Control Commission for declaratory statements on whether games or machines meet amusement machine definitions before purchase or installation.

DEFINITION

Definitions for 'Internet gambling' and 'Internet sports wagering' were clarified, and new definitions were created for 'fantasy sports contest' and 'noncommercial contest operator' with specific entry fee limits ($1,500 per season, $10,000 per year).

TIMELINE

The effective date of the act was set to October 1, 2025, and various reporting requirements for the Gaming Control Commission were updated to include information on seized property and complaint summaries.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 17, 2025

Upper · Passed

Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)

upper

Apr 15, 2025

Upper · Passed

CS/CS by Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government; YEAS 12 NAYS 0

upper

Apr 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

On Committee agenda-- Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government, 04/15/25, 12:30 pm, 412 Knott Building

upper

Mar 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

Now in Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government

upper

Mar 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

Pending reference review under Rule 4.7(2) - (Committee Substitute)

upper

Mar 20, 2025

Upper · Passed

On Committee agenda-- Regulated Industries, 03/25/25, 4:00 pm, 412 Knott Building

upper

Mar 10, 2025

Introduced

upper

Mar 6, 2025

Committee

Referred to Regulated Industries; Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government; Fiscal Policy

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors