Gambling and prediction market interests have contributed more than $12m to Florida political campaigns as the state approaches a governor election that could influence the future of sports wagering.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida, commercial betting companies and prediction market businesses have all contributed to political candidates and committees during the 2026 election cycle.
Much of the industry’s financial support has been directed towards Byron Donalds, the leading Republican candidate for governor ahead of the party’s August 18 primary.
The Seminole Tribe has contributed approximately $9m across Florida politics, including $4m supporting Donalds.
The tribe owns Hard Rock International and holds exclusive rights to offer regulated statewide mobile sports betting in Florida through Hard Rock Bet.
Under Florida’s 2021 gaming compact, online wagers placed anywhere in the state are treated as occurring on tribal land when processed through servers located there.
The arrangement effectively keeps major commercial sportsbook operators outside Florida’s conventional regulated online betting market.
Despite that position, FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars Entertainment and the Sports Betting Alliance have all contributed to Florida political campaigns.
FanDuel has contributed approximately $581,000, while DraftKings parent DK Crown Holdings has provided around $525,000. Caesars has contributed $245,000.
The Sports Betting Alliance, whose members include DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics, BetMGM and bet365, has contributed $250,000, with its support directed towards Donalds.
Fantasy sports and prediction market businesses have also become increasingly active.
PrizePicks parent SidePrize has contributed approximately $400,000, while Underdog Sports has provided more than $280,000.
Kalshi has contributed approximately $268,000 across Florida politics, including $75,000 supporting Donalds.
Robinhood, which has expanded into prediction markets, has contributed $200,000, all of it directed towards Donalds.
The political spending comes as prediction markets complicate Florida’s established gambling structure.
Hard Rock Bet remains the states only authorised online sportsbook, while federally regulated prediction market platforms can offer sports event contracts to Florida customers without operating under the Seminole gaming compact.
Prediction market operators argue that those contracts are financial products regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission rather than sports betting subject to individual state gambling laws.
That position is being challenged in several US states, where regulators and attorneys general argue that sports event contracts amount to gambling and should comply with state licensing requirements.
Florida has so far avoided becoming a major participant in those legal disputes.
The position adopted by the state’s next governor could therefore become increasingly important if prediction markets continue expanding their sports products in Florida.
Donalds has received more than $6m from gambling and gaming-related interests during the current election cycle.
The contributions do not establish how he would approach sports betting or prediction markets if elected governor.
They do, however, highlight the competing commercial interests surrounding one of the most restrictive and valuable online sports betting markets in the US.
The Seminole Tribe has a significant interest in protecting the exclusivity established through its gaming compact, while national sportsbook operators remain outside the conventional market and prediction platforms have created an alternative route into sports event wagering.
Florida’s next administration could ultimately face the question of whether those two systems can continue operating alongside one another without triggering a new legal or regulatory confrontation.
