Although it is one of the most populated states in the US, Florida doesn’t have regulated online poker. This means that residents of the Sunshine State don’t have access to options like WSOP, PokerStars, or BetMGM Poker, which operate in regulated markets such as PA, MI, NJ, and NV.
Luckily, those looking to play online poker in Florida still have some options available to them. Several offshore sites still accept players from the state, with CoinPoker being our top pick in this category.
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Great casino offer Additionally, several sweepstakes poker operators offer their services without violating any gaming laws. These sites, such as ClubWPT Gold and Stakes US, are founded on a sweepstakes model that eliminates direct deposits and withdrawals, thereby circumventing the biggest legal obstacles.
If you’re looking for the best Florida online poker options, you’ve come to the right place, as this page brings you all the important details about the current state of affairs, relevant laws and legislation, and a sneak peek into the future of online poker in Florida.
Can I Play Online Poker in Florida?
Yes, you can play online poker in Florida despite the fact that there are no state-licensed sites available. You can choose between offshore sites that accept players from the US and sweepstakes operators that offer ring games and tournaments where you can win real money prizes.
| Available options | Offshore rooms & sweepstakes poker sites |
| State-regulated poker sites | Not available |
| Age limit for Florida online poker | 18+ |
| Best FL poker site | CoinPoker |
Best Online Poker Sites in Florida
If you are based in Florida and looking to play online poker, you can choose between a few offshore sites and some sweepstakes poker rooms. Both of these options have their pros and cons that we explain in more detail in the next section.
Both options give you access to ring games and tournaments where you can compete for and win real money prizes. Differences are mostly technical in nature, but once you figure out these technicalities, you can enjoy your online poker experience without any additional obstacles.
#1. CoinPoker – Best for Experienced Players
CoinPoker is our top pick when it comes to offshore sites available in Florida. Although relatively new to the online poker scene, CoinPoker has established a strong presence, continually growing in terms of player traffic and its overall offerings.
We recommend this site for more experienced players primarily because it only accepts cryptocurrencies. You won’t be able to fund your account using any of the traditional banking options, but if you know your way around crypto, this is not an issue in the slightest.
CoinPoker offers a lot of fairly soft action across its cash game tables (higher stakes included) and the operator’s tournament schedule has been constantly growing and improving, so whatever your preferred format may be, you’ll feel right at home here.
#2 ClubWPT Gold – Best for Beginners & Casual Players
ClubWPT Gold is the latest addition to the sweepstakes poker landscape in Florida. Powered by the World Poker Tour, the site offers a legit platform where you can compete for real money prizes without traditional deposits and withdrawals.
You’ll find a decent selection of No Limit Hold’em ring game tables across different stakes and a solid tournament schedule with nice guarantees that keep on growing. Easily increase your Sweeps Coins balance by purchasing Gold Coin packages, which can be done using credit and debit cards, PayPal, and other payment methods.
We recommend this site for beginners because the games are really soft, even at the highest of stakes, so even if you don’t have much experience, you should do fine. Current software limitations make it not as attractive for serious grinders, as there is no multi-tabling and games are pretty slow, with fairly long delays between hands.
#3. Stakes US – Best of Both Worlds
Stake US Poker is an interesting alternative for online poker in Florida. This is a sweepstakes site that only accepts cryptocurrencies. To purchase Gold Coins and claim free Stake Cash, you must use cryptocurrency.
The biggest advantage of this particular site is that it targets gamblers, particularly sports bettors, many of whom find their way to poker tables. This results in very soft, action-packed games. The player traffic is not as big as on the other two sites, but it’s quite solid, so you shouldn’t struggle to find games that fit your preferences.
Free Poker vs Real-Money Games
The biggest decision that Florida online players must make when deciding when to play is whether they prefer sweepstakes (free poker) or real-money games offered by offshore sites like CoinPoker.
For many players, real-money poker is easier to understand right from the start, as they have prior experience with it. You make a deposit, get money in your account, and then use that money to buy into cash games and tournaments. So, it’s the same mechanics that you’ll find on regulated US sites in the states that have them.
The drawback of offshore real money sites is that depositing and withdrawing aren’t always that easy. Some of them only accept cryptocurrencies, others may nominally accept other methods, but the success rate when using US debit and credit cards, for example, is way below 100%.
Sweepstakes sites in Florida feature a different model, where you don’t have traditional deposits and withdrawals, which some players may find confusing at first. On the other hand, since these rooms don’t conflict with any gaming or banking laws, transactions are easier, and a much wider range of methods is available.
In most other aspects, both options are quite similar. Offshore sites and sweepstakes poker operators both offer ring games, tournaments, and even jackpot sit-and-go games. The selection of games and variations differs from one site to another.
Sweepstakes Model Explained
If you’d like to try sweepstakes poker in Florida but are still unsure about how it works, here’s a brief explanation.
Sweepstakes poker sites in the US have found a way to operate in line with relevant gaming and banking laws. Instead of requiring players to deposit money, they provide them with free Sweeps Coins, game tokens that can be used to play and eventually redeemed for cash prizes.
These Sweeps Coins are essentially sweepstakes entries, and they can’t be purchased directly. They are always given away for free for different actions – be it logging into your account, participating in a giveaway, or purchasing Gold Coins, the second form of game token that can only be used for play and can’t be used to redeem prizes.
So, for example, by purchasing 100,000 Gold Coins for $100, you will receive a free gift of 100 SCs. You can now use these coins to enter various SC games and, eventually, exchange them for a cash prize, usually at the rate of 1 SC for $1.
This way, players get all the benefits of real money poker without actual deposits or traditional withdrawals. It’s just a couple of extra steps in the middle, but these steps are essential as they allow sweepstakes operators to offer their services without breaking laws, at least for the time being.
Regulation Landscape in Florida
Despite several attempts to regulate online poker in Florida, there have been no significant movements in this area. The slow progress of online gaming legislation is due, at least in part, to a great number of local cardrooms that aren’t too keen about the idea of having to compete with poker sites.
We haven’t seen any significant movement in regulation over the past several years, and, as things stand, this is unlikely to change in the near future. It will take at least a couple of years for regulated online poker to come to Florida.
At the time of writing, Florida sweepstakes poker remains available; however, there has been a significant push in the state to eliminate sweepstakes sites. Proposed changes to gaming laws would likely make this type of gambling illegal, forcing operators to stop providing their services to the Sunshine State residents.
The only positive aspect of these changes is that they may signal the potential for regulated online gambling to be on the horizon. With 23 million residents, Florida would certainly be a substantial market in its own right, and its eventual addition to the MSIGA would be a significant leap for regulated online poker across the US.