Florida has been facing alarming figures of its residents participating in offshore illegal gambling activities. It is estimated that about a million Florida residents are engaging in this activities and the state has began to take measures to control the situation. The State of Florida is worried about its citizens and also about the revenue that is being lost offshore in this difficult economic climate.
In order to address these concerns there has been a bill proposed which aims to legalize online gambling under state terms. The bill proposes that there is a state regulated hub that allow casino style games to be operated online. A concern that casino players have brought up is that the bill includes games such as Texas Hold’em and other card games but does no mention of slot machines. However, it has been stated that hopefully those will be added to the bill in the future.
In order to provide online casino games services operators would have to pay a licensing fee to the State of Florida. Others in the industry who wish to participate in the affiliate system would also have to pay a fee, though a minor one compared to that to be paid by operators.
The bill recognizes that there is a need to raise security measures in order to be certain that those using the services are of legal age to gamble and that there is transparency in the proceedings of the operators. There is also a point which raises the need for the hub to be able to limit the amount a player plays and to even block them from the online gaming activities.
I think this is a big step forward and I hope the State of Florida gives it serious consideration in the upcoming weeks. We will keep you updated on new proceedings regarding this bill.
