Next to Miami, Tampa is the region in Florida with the most professional sports teams. The city has seen a lot of success from their sports teams of late with the Lightning winning the Stanley Cup in both 2020 and 2021, and the Buccaneers winning the Super Bowl in 2021. The Rays are also perennial contenders having made the playoffs in the past five seasons, including losing in the World Series to the LA Dodgers in 2020. It’s a good time to be a sports fan in Tampa Bay.
On this page I’ll quickly go over the legality of betting on sports in Florida, give you some recommendations for quality betting sites accepting American residents and touch on sports betting in the Tampa Bay region specifically.
Is Sports Betting Legal in Tampa Bay?
Yes, the tribal gaming compact that was signed in 2021 between the Seminole Tribe and Florida State was reinstated in 2023. This gaming compact gives the Seminole Tribe exclusive rights to offer regulated sports betting in Florida. The Seminole Tribe relaunched their Hard Rock Bet app in December of 2023 and it’s currently the only regulated online sportsbook available in Florida.
Florida residents do also have the option to place wagers through offshore betting sites that are located and regulated outside of the United States. These betting sites, like the two I’ve recommended below, are licensed outside of the US, and have served the US betting market for decades.
Best Betting Sites for Tampa Residents
| Sportsbook | Bonus | Visit |
|---|---|---|
 |
100% up to $250 | Visit |
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50% up to $250 in Free Bets | Visit |
These are our top two recommended sportsbooks for Tampa Bay residents. Both sites are very popular across the United States and Bovada.lv actually only accepts American residents, which allows them to fully cater their sportsbook to an American audience.
Offline Sports Betting in Tampa
As I mentioned above, the Seminole Tribe holds exclusive rights to sports gambling in the state, and this also applies to in-person sportsbooks. The Seminole Tribe does have a Hard Rock Hotel & Casino located in Tampa and that establishment did open a sportsbook in 2023.
Parimutuel betting does not fall under the Seminole Tribes exclusive rights, which allows Florida horse racing tracks to accept bets on not only their own races, but other horse races from across the country. Tampa Bay Downs is a very popular race track that operates in the Tampa region and does allow people in attendance to place wagers on their horse races.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa is located in the heart of the city. The location opened a sportsbook in December of 2023 with 8 betting windows open from 9am to 1am daily, and 43 self-service betting kiosks available 24/7.
Tampa Bay Downs
Tampa Bay Downs is located in the western part of Tampa Bay and just a quick 30 minute drive from downtown Tampa. The racetrack has live races throughout the year and you can check the daily schedule at their website. Tampa Bay Downs also features daily betting on races across the United States, as well as daily simulcast racing. They also have a great poker room a golf practice facility and some great dining. If you haven’t been to Tampa Bay Downs, I would highly recommend stopping by for some live races.
You can also place bets on the live Tampa Bay Downs races at either of the sportsbooks I recommended above.
Major Sports Teams in Tampa Bay
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL – Football)
- Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL – Hockey)
- Tampa Bay Rays (MLB – Baseball)