Florida to Debate New Gambling Bill, Outlawing Sports Bribes, Legalizing DFS

A new bill, HB 189, is due to be debated today, focusing on potentially creating a legal framework for daily fantasy sports and also criminalizing match-fixing in sports.

Spearheaded by Rep. Dana Trabulsy, the bill sets out specific language on potential bribery involving sports and athletes and comes in the wake of major scandals that are still rocking the NBA and the MLB.

Sports Bribery to Be Classified as Felony under New Bill

The bill essentially wants to make it a felony to accept money in order to perform in a certain way as an athlete, and the measure applies to both the parties offering the bribe and the party receiving the bribe.

Accepting or offering such bets would be treated as a third-degree felony should the bill become law. Another major aspect of the bill is the potential legalization of daily fantasy sports in Florida.

However, this could be a difficult sell for several reasons. First of all, AG Rob Bonta has already issued an opinion in which he said that fantasy sports is another form of gambling, and specifically an unregulated one.

DFS in Focus in Florida Once Again

Presently, Florida only allows for a single betting platform to operate – Hard Rock, which is part of a skillfully negotiated tribal compact with the Seminole Tribe.

The Hard Rock brand essentially has a monopoly on the betting and gaming market in Florida, and this is unlikely to change unless new legislation is passed.

HB 189 defines the language for running DFS, including that any betting outcomes “reflect the relative knowledge and skill of the fantasy sports contest participant.” The language specifically excludes results based on score, point spread, or performance of a team or combination of teams, i.e., parlays.