Florida’s illegal gambling crackdown is intensifying as regulators confirm some operators continue to resurface after raids and local governments add new enforcement tools.
Manatee County commissioners unanimously approved a new ordinance Tuesday targeting unauthorized simulated gambling devices, adding another local enforcement tool as Florida intensifies its crackdown on illegal gambling operations.
The measure comes amid repeated enforcement actions across Southwest Florida. It also highlights a problem at the center of the state’s wider crackdown: some illegal gambling operators close after raids only to relocate or resume operations elsewhere.
In comments to Gambling Insider, the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) confirmed that pattern remains a significant challenge and said stronger criminal penalties remain a central legislative priority. The commission also said it continues to engage lawmakers and stakeholders ahead of the 2027 session.
Lawmakers came close to strengthening the law this year but failed to pass a broader gambling package before the session ended.
Illegal Gambling Enforcement Accelerates
The scale of Florida’s crackdown increased significantly in 2025. FGCC said it seized 6,725 illegal slot machines and $14.47 million during the year. That represented more than five times the 1,287 machines seized in 2024, while confiscated funds more than doubled from $7.11 million.
Enforcement has remained elevated in 2026. In new figures provided to Gambling Insider, Brown said FGCC has seized 3,959 illegal slot machines and $3,147,069 in illicit funds this year. In July, the commission also said it had shut down 184 illegal gambling arcades and made 177 arrests over the preceding 12 months.
Individual operations underline the scale. Southwest Florida has been a particular focus, with a June crackdown seizing 479 machines in Lee and Collier counties and a May operation seizing 265 machines in Manatee County. Another 34 machines were seized in Bradenton in July, while Sarasota County operations resulted in 69 machines seized in May and another 76 in August.
Elsewhere, a February multi-county crackdown seized 525 machines across 39 locations, while authorities seized 231 machines in Lake County in January and 163 from two St. Petersburg arcades in September.
The figures highlight two realities: Florida has substantially increased its enforcement effort, but the continued discovery of large operations also shows how extensive the illegal market remains.
The ‘Cost of Doing Business’ Problem
Brown described the challenge to Gambling Insider in June.
I would say the singular most important issue is the penalties are treated as misdemeanors, and not felonies, which is what we have been fighting for every legislative session, and we got very close this year,” Brown said.
“They’re going to get a slap on the wrist and move to another location,” she said.
Brown said the current legal landscape allows some operators to treat fines, misdemeanor charges and confiscated machines as a cost of doing business.
FGCC confirmed this week that the problem persists. “Some illegal gambling operators continue to relocate or resume operations after enforcement action,” the commission told Gambling Insider.
That gets to the central issue surrounding Florida’s current landscape.
The state does have the authority to raid illegal slot operations. Existing Chapter 849 provisions already prohibit the possession and operation of illegal slot machines, and Florida’s definition is broad enough to reach devices involving chance or outcomes unpredictable to the player.
The problem, according to regulators, is what happens after the machines are seized. Under Section 849.23, a first conviction for violating Florida’s slot-machine provisions is a second-degree misdemeanor. A second conviction is a first-degree misdemeanor, while a violation after two prior convictions becomes a third-degree felony.
Our agents and law enforcement partners can seize illegal machines, remove unlawful proceeds, and disrupt the immediate operation, but enforcement alone cannot create lasting deterrence when the criminal penalties do not reflect the damage illegal gambling causes within Florida communities,” FGCC said.
Lawmakers Came Close to Tougher Penalties
FGCC and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier have both urged lawmakers to strengthen penalties behind the crackdown. Policymakers came close during the 2026 session.
Sen. Jonathan Martin’s SB 1580 became the main vehicle. It proposed tougher penalties for gambling-house and illegal slot-machine offenses, alongside new provisions targeting slot-machine trafficking, false claims about machine legality, and the disposal of seized equipment. It also included a temporary machine-surrender program.
The Senate passed SB 1580 34-0 before the House amended it and approved its version 82-31. The Senate did not concur before adjournment, and the bill died in returning messages.
Rep. Dana Trabulsy’s HB 189 took a similarly broad approach. It combined tougher illegal gambling enforcement with provisions covering internet gambling, fantasy sports, pari-mutuel issues and other gaming regulations. It advanced through several House committees before being laid on the table as lawmakers moved forward with SB 1580 instead.
Three other proposals also addressed the issue. Sen. Jennifer Bradley’s SB 204 paired regulatory clarity for certain veterans organizations with escalating criminal penalties, including felony exposure for larger illegal slot operations. It passed two committees unanimously before dying in Rules. HB 591 and SB 1164 proposed similar broader crackdowns but did not advance beyond their initial committees.
None became law, leaving the penalty structure Brown has criticized largely unchanged.
FGCC said that its legislative priorities “remain consistent with last year.” The commission expects to pursue again changes to the rules governing seized slot machines, which it said can remain in evidence for years and create significant storage, logistical and financial burdens for law enforcement.
Gambling Insider also contacted Martin and Trabulsy about potential 2027 legislation, but had not received responses at the time of publication.
More Enforcement Capacity, Without the Criminal Rewrite
Lawmakers did provide FGCC with additional enforcement resources in 2026. In May, the Legislature approved two new FGCC enforcement units, including a Sarasota County-based unit intended to provide dedicated coverage in Southwest Florida.
FGCC has also continued expanding its partnerships. Brown told Gambling Insider that 48 law enforcement agencies are now working with the commission to combat illegal gambling across Florida.
Federal agencies have also joined major operations. Homeland Security Investigations assisted FGCC and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office during a May operation, while HSI led a December 2025 operation with assistance from the IRS, FGCC and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
The new Manatee County ordinance adds another layer of local enforcement. Commissioners approved Ordinance 26-36 on Tuesday, which broadly prohibits unauthorized simulated gambling devices in unincorporated areas and establishes civil enforcement provisions and penalties. The county also approved an agreement with the sheriff’s office to coordinate enforcement.
The ordinance allows cease-and-desist orders, civil citations and other remedies against simulated gambling devices. However, its criminal penalties remain misdemeanors, meaning it does not address the felony-level deterrence FGCC has sought from state lawmakers.
Still, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Randy Warren said the measure is intended to make it harder for illegal operations to reopen repeatedly.
“The intent here is let’s make it more difficult for these to just pop up,” Warren said.
Measuring Whether the Crackdown Is Working
The increased enforcement actions and resources still leave a harder question: whether they are reducing the underlying illegal gambling market.
FGCC releases provide extensive data on machines, cash, arrests and targeted locations. Still, there is far less information on how often raided businesses reopen, how often operators relocate or how the overall number of illegal machines in circulation changes. Outcomes are also unclear in some cases, with announcements ending at Notices to Appear, pending warrants or ongoing investigations.
FGCC acknowledged that distinction.
These efforts have not eliminated the illegal market, but they have significantly strengthened the State’s ability to confront it,” the commission said.
Florida has demonstrated that it can find illegal gambling operations, seize machines and close locations. What remains less clear is whether existing penalties are strong enough to prevent those operations from returning.
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