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A sweeping gambling measure, CS/CS/HB 189, cleared its third and final House committee stop Tuesday, moving out of the Florida House of Representatives’ House Commerce Committee after lawmakers debated how far the state should go in tightening penalties, policing illegal slot rooms, and defining newer forms of wagering.
The bill, filed by Dana Trabulsy, touches everything from the Florida Gaming Control Commission and pari-mutuel permitting to internet gambling and internet sports wagering, fantasy sports contests, and new criminal provisions tied to gambling activity. The House bill lists an effective date of Oct. 1, 2026.
Illegal slots are still a big target for state enforcement
Florida lawmakers are moving on the gambling policy as state enforcement officials report a sharp jump in illegal machine seizures.
In a Dec. 30, 2025 release, the Florida Gaming Control Commission said it seized $14,474,336 and took 6,725 illegal slot machines in 2025. A year earlier, the commission reported $7,110,613 seized and 1,287 machines taken in 2024.
FGCC Executive Director Alana Zimmer said the commission has “been working diligently to halt illegal gambling,” and thanked Gov. Ron DeSantis and legislators for backing its efforts.
The commission also pointed to how limited legal slot play is in Florida. It said legal slots are confined to eight licensed pari-mutuel facilities in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, along with certain Seminole Tribe of Florida facilities.
Senate moves, too, with its own illegal-gaming package
The House action comes as the Senate advances a separate but related push.
On Feb. 10, the The Florida Senate’s Regulated Industries Committee adopted a committee substitute for SB 1580, an illegal-gaming bill sponsored by Senator Martin. The Senate page lists the committee vote as 9–0 and an effective date of July 1, 2026.
Together, the two bills show lawmakers pressing on two fronts: broader statutory updates in the House bill, and a Senate vehicle focused on illegal gaming, enforcement powers, and penalty changes. Where they ultimately converge will depend on how each chamber rewrites the language as the session clock runs toward mid-March.
Source: Yahoo News
