Florida HB 591: Gambling

Bill Text

HB 591 2026

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb591-00
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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to gambling; amending s. 16.71, F.S.; 2
deleting obsolete provisions; deleting language 3
concerning factors to be considered in appointments to 4
the Florida Gaming Control Commission; amending s. 5
551.104, F.S.; revising hiring and procurement policy 6
and reporting requirements for slot machine gaming 7
licensure; amending s. 838.12, F.S.; prohibiting 8
betting on athletic contests with knowledge that the 9
results are prearranged or predetermined; providing 10
criminal penalties; amending s. 843.08, F.S.; 11
prohibiting false personation of personnel of the 12
Florida Gaming Control Commission; providing criminal 13
penalties; amending s. 849.01, F.S.; revising criminal 14
penalties for offenses involving keeping a gambling 15
house; amending s. 849.02, F.S.; increasing criminal 16
penalties for specified offenses by agents or 17
employees of a keeper of a gambling house; amending s. 18
849.03, F.S.; revising criminal penalties for offenses 19
involving renting a house for gambling purposes; 20
amending s. 849.08, F.S.; defining the terms "Internet 21
gambling" and "Internet sports wagering"; prohibiting 22
Internet gambling and Internet sports wagering and 23
related offenses; providing criminal penalties; 24
providing an exception; amending s. 849.086, F.S.; 25

HB 591 2026

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prohibiting specified actions relating to manipulation 26
of card games; providing criminal penalties; amending 27
s. 849.11, F.S.; prohibiting certain offenses related 28
to games of chance involving the Internet; providing 29
criminal penalties; amending s. 849.13, F.S.; 30
providing enhances criminal penalties for second or 31
subsequent violations of certain provisions; amending 32
s. 849.14, F.S.; revising the criminal penalties for 33
betting or wagering on certain activities; amending s. 34
849.15, F.S.; providing definitions; providing 35
criminal penalties for specified offenses relating to 36
the manufacture, possession, and sale of slot machines 37
or devices; creating s. 849.155, F.S.; prohibiting 38
trafficking in slot machines, devices, or parts 39
thereof; providing criminal penalties; providing for 40
the deposit of fines into a specified trust fund for 41
specified purposes; creating s. 849.157, F.S.; 42
prohibiting the making of a false or misleading 43
statement regarding the legality of slot machines or 44
devices for specified purposes; providing criminal 45
penalties; repealing s. 849.23, F.S., relating to 46
penalties for violations of specified sections; 47
creating s. 849.47, F.S.; defining the term "illegal 48
gambling"; prohibiting the transportation of specified 49
numbers of persons, persons of certain ages, or a 50

HB 591 2026

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certain number of persons for the purpose of 51
facilitating illegal gambling; providing criminal 52
penalties; creating s. 849.48, F.S.; defining the term 53
"illegal gambling"; prohibiting specified gambling or 54
gaming advertisements; providing criminal penalties; 55
providing construction; creating s. 849.49, F.S.; 56
preempting to the state the regulation of gaming, 57
gambling, lotteries, or any activities described in 58
specified provisions; amending s. 903.046, F.S.; 59
providing for consideration of the amount of currency 60
seized connected to or involved in specified gambling 61
or gaming offenses when determining whether to release 62
a defendant prior to trial; amending s. 921.0022, 63
F.S.; ranking offenses for purposes of the offense 64
severity ranking chart of the Criminal Punishment 65
Code; amending ss. 772.102 and 895.02, F.S.; 66
conforming provisions to changes made by the act; 67
providing an effective date. 68
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 70
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Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section 72
16.71, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 73
16.71 Florida Gaming Control Commission; creation; 74
meetings; membership.— 75

HB 591 2026

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(2) MEMBERSHIP.— 76
(a) The commission shall consist of five members appointed 77
by the Governor, and subject to confirmation by the Senate, for 78
terms of 4 years. Members of the commission must be appointed by 79
January 1, 2022. The Governor shall consider appointees who 80
reflect Florida's racial, ethnic, and gender diversity. Of the 81
initial five members appointed by the Governor, and immediately 82
upon appointment, the Governor