Introduction to Florida Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019

Florida slot machine casino gambling consists of eight pari-mutuel racetracks in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, seven tribal casinos, and day-long casino cruises.

A theoretical minimum payout exists, and monthly return statistics are publicly available for the eight commercial racinos. Neither are available for Florida’s tribal casinos.

This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.

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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Florida*

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 race tracks located in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. These counties contain the cities of Miami and Fort Lauderdale in southern Florida.

*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.

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, including
  • Horse racing
  • Harness horse racing
  • Greyhound racing
  • Jai alai games
• 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, 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 successfully 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 did not successfully complete 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 nearly 5,000 gaming machines and 179 table games.

The second-largest casino is Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee with 1,300 gaming machines and 38 table games.

Commercial Casinos in Florida

Eight of Florida’s 39 pari-mutuel wagering facilities offer slot machines. These racinos are in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties hosting Miami and Fort Lauderdale:

1. The Big Easy Casino in Hallandale Beach.
2. Calder Casino in Miami Gardens.
3. Casino Miami in Miami.
4. The Casino @ Dania Beach in Dania Beach.
5. Gulfstream Park Casino in Hallandale Beach.
6. Hialeah Park Racing & Casino in Hialeah.
7. Isle Casino Pompano in Pompano Beach.
8. Magic City Casino in Miami.

Tribal Casinos in Florida

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Florida’s seven tribal casinos are in southern Florida, including:

1. Miccosukee Resort & Gaming in Miami located 24 miles west of downtown Miami.
2. Seminole Casino Brighton located 135 miles south of Orlando.
3. Seminole Casino Coconut Creek located 25 miles north of Fort Lauderdale.
4. Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee located 35 miles northeast of Naples.
5. Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood located 1 mile south of Fort Lauderdale.
6. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood located 1 mile south of Fort Lauderdale.
7. Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa located 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 state-specific blog for that neighboring state to Florida.

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

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

Our Florida Slots Facebook Group

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

There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in or near Florida. Join us!

Payout Returns in Florida

Pari-mutuel wagering sites with slot machines in Florida have a minimum theoretical payout of 85%. Actual return statistics by month and casino are publicly available. However, you’ll need to perform some calculations to obtain player win percentages.

To calculate Player Win% for each racino, multiply 100% by Credits Out and divide the result by Credits In. Using the latest statistics available at the time of this writing, September 2019, the monthly player win percentages are:

• The Big Easy: 100% times Credits Out of $33.34M divided by Credits In of $36.36M results in a Player Win% of 91.7%.
• Calder Casino: 100% x $102.9M / $113.1M = 91.0%.
• Casino Miami: 100% x $82.17M / $88.86M = 92.5%.
• The Casino @ Dania Beach: 100% x $41.71M / $45.41M = 91.9%.
• Gulfstream Park: 100% x $45.89M / $49.80M = 92.1%.
• Hialeah Park: 100% x $104.8M / $112.0M = 93.6%.
• Isle Casino Pompano: 100% x $90.17M / $99.60M = 90.5%.
• Magic City: 100% x $123.6M / $132.3M = 93.4%.

The average return for all racinos in September 2019 was 92.3%. For this month, the highest performance went to Hialeah Park, with 93.6%, closely followed by Magic City at 93.4%. The lowest return went to Isle Casino with 90.5%.

Florida’s tribal casinos do not share theoretical limits on their slot machine payout percentages, nor do they make actual payout return statistics publicly available.

Summary of Florida Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019

Florida slot machine casino gambling consists of eight pari-mutual wagering racinos near Miami and Fort Lauderdale, seven tribal casinos in southern Florida, and day-long cruise boats to international waters in Port Richey and Port Canaveral.

Commercial racinos have a theoretical minimum payout of 85% and publicly available monthly actual return statistics for each casino. Tribal casinos share neither payouts nor returns.

Annual Progress in Florida Slot Machine Casino Gambling

In the last year, Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa increased their slots by 25%, now with nearly 5,000 machines. Otherwise, the Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park became Isle Casino Pompano.

Related Articles from Professor Slots

Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots

Play The Slot Machine

• Previous: District of Columbia Slot Machine Casino Gambling
• Next: Georgia Slot Machine Casino Gambling

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

THE VILLAGES, Fla. — After a brief illness, Robert L. Anderson, Jr. of Hampton Estates, Sable Chase in The Villages, Florida died on Friday, October 30, 2020, one day before his 83rd birthday.

He was the son of Robert and Louise Anderson of Pleasant Hill, Ohio, both deceased. His wife Madeline preceded him in death in May 2013.

He is survived by a son, Robert L. Anderson, III (Mary Evanston) of Virginia and daughter Michelle (Brett) Foster of Texas. He is also survived by three grandchildren, Jon Evanston, Mallory (Joshua) Tassone and Brooke Foster along with two great-granddaughters. He also leaves behind a brother Douglas (Charlene) Anderson and sister Linda (Mike) Short along with nieces and nephew Gregg (Susan) Anderson, Patricia Anderson, Trina and Amy Short.

Bob attended Newton High School in Pleasant Hill, Ohio class of 1956. He was a pretty good basketball player (number 32) in high school, at least according to his sister. Bob was a veteran of the US Army serving from 1960–1962. He was a barber by trade beginning his career in his uncle’s barber shop in West Milton, Ohio. He eventually became an account specialist for the salon industry for many years and enjoyed visiting shops and attending hair shows and conventions. Bob was a member of the West Milton Chapter of the JayCee’s service organization from 1970-1975.

“Bob A” never knew a stranger. He enjoyed the time he spent at Lake Erie and Indian Lake (where he lived prior to moving to Florida). He loved playing all kinds of card games, Bunco, fishing and especially golf. He had many friends who will miss him.

Slot Machines For Sale

A memorial service is tentatively being planned for the Spring of 2021 in Ohio.

Published in Miami Valley Today from Nov. 5 to Nov. 6, 2020.