Florida Amendment 3 (2018)
A 2018 ballot amendment requiring statewide voter approval before any new casino gambling can be authorized in Florida; the constitutional firewall that effectively locks out commercial sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings.
Key Points
- Passed November 2018 with 71% voter support
- Requires 60% statewide vote to expand non-tribal casino gambling
- Effectively locks commercial operators out of Florida
- Does not block tribal compacts; Seminole gaming is exempt
- Backed financially by Disney and the Seminole Tribe in the 2018 campaign
Background
Amendment 3; formally "Voter Control of Gambling in Florida"; was approved by 71% of Florida voters in November 2018. It amended the state constitution to require that any expansion of casino gambling in Florida (outside of tribal lands) must first be approved by a statewide ballot initiative requiring 60% supermajority support.
The practical effect is that the Florida Legislature alone cannot license commercial sportsbook operators. Any future market expansion to bring in FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, or other operators would require either (a) a tribal partnership through the Seminole compact, or (b) a successful statewide ballot initiative; a multi-million-dollar campaign with no guarantee of success.
Because the Seminole Compact operates on tribal land legally, it does not trigger Amendment 3 and was upheld by the courts. But Amendment 3 is the reason why, despite being the third-most-populous state, Florida only has one legal sportsbook.