Poker Poised to Expand in Florida

The State of Florida is poised to expand poker offerings in the Sunshine State after lawmakers passed a bill on Friday that would allow casinos and cardrooms located at horse tracks, dog tracks, and jai alai frontons to offer no-limit poker and remove the $100 maximum buy-in and the $5 maximum bet per betting round in limit games. Poker tournament buy-ins limits will also be removed, making Florida an appealing destination for big-money poker tournaments.

The bill, expected to be signed by Governor Charlie Crist, is dependent on the Seminole tribe approving a new deal with the state, and the state and the Seminole tribe will have until August 31 to work out a new deal. After that, the Florida Legislature will have to approve the compact for the bill to go into effect.

Under the new law, cardrooms will be permitted to operate 18 hours a day Mondays through Fridays, and 24 hours on the weekends. The gambling age in Seminole casinos will also be increased from 18 to 21, matching the minimum age found elsewhere.

I’ll continue to report on new developments in Florida as they occur.