HB 1127 2024
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to pari -mutuel permitholders; amending 2
ss. 550.01215 and 550.054, F.S.; deleting a 3
requirement that certain permitholders show that their 4
permits have not been disapproved or recalled at a 5
later election when submitting subsequent annual 6
applications to the Florida Gaming Control Commission; 7
amending s. 550.0555, F.S.; revising legislative 8
findings with respect to the relocation of greyhound 9
dogracing permits; authorizing greyhound dogracing 10
permitholders to relocate if specified conditions are 11
met; voiding an additional permit if the commission 12
approves a relocation; specifying areas to which a 13
permitholder may not relocate; amending s. 550.0651, 14
F.S.; providing that pari -mutuel facilities that 15
relocated in accordance with the act are not su bject 16
to municipal restrictions on the establishment of such 17
facilities; amending s. 551.102, F.S.; revising the 18
definition of the term "eligible facility" to conform 19
to changes made by the act; amending s. 551.114, F.S.; 20
requiring that a slot machine gami ng area of a 21
relocated pari-mutuel facility be at the location for 22
which the relocation was approved; amending s. 23
849.086, F.S.; providing that pari -mutuel facilities 24
that relocated in accordance with the act are not 25
HB 1127 2024
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subject to municipal restrictions on th e establishment 26
of cardrooms; making a technical change; providing an 27
effective date. 28
29
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 30
31
Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 550.01215, Florida 32
Statutes, is amended to read: 33
550.01215 License application; periods of operation; 34
license fees; bond.— 35
(2) After the first license has been issued to a 36
permitholder, all subsequent annual applications for a license 37
shall be accompanied by proof, in such form as the commission 38
may by rule require, that the permitholder continues to possess 39
the qualifications prescribed by this chapter , and that the 40
permit has not been disapproved at a later election . 41
Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (9) of section 42
550.054, Florida Statutes, is amended t o read: 43
550.054 Application for permit to conduct pari -mutuel 44
wagering.— 45
(9)(a) After a permit has been granted by the commission 46
and has been ratified and approved by the majority of the 47
electors participating in the election in the county designated 48
in the permit, the commission shall grant to the lawful 49
permitholder, subject to the conditions of this chapter, a 50
HB 1127 2024
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
license to conduct pari -mutuel operations under this chapter, 51
and, except as provided in s. 550.5251, the commission shall fix 52
annually the time, place, and number of days during which pari -53
mutuel operations may be conducted by the permitholder at the 54
location fixed in the permit and ratified in the election. After 55
the first license has been issued to the holder of a ratified 56
permit for racing in any county, all subsequent annual 57
applications for a license by that permitholder must be 58
accompanied by proof, in such form as the commission requires, 59
that the ratified permitholder still possesses all the 60
qualifications prescribed by this chapter and that the permit 61
has not been recalled at a later election held in the county . 62
Section 3. Section 550.0555, Florida Statutes, is amended 63
to read: 64
550.0555 Greyhound dogracing permits; relocation within a 65
county; conditions.— 66
(1) It is the finding o f the Legislature that substantial 67
state revenues are derived from greyhound dogracing 68
permitholders' pari-mutuel wagering activities as well as other 69
authorized gaming activities associated with such permits, 70
including the operation of cardrooms and slot machines. The 71
Legislature further finds that revenues derived from greyhound 72
dogracing permitholders' pari -mutuel wagering activities and 73
other gaming activities are adversely impacted absent the right 74
to move the location for which the permit has been iss ued to 75
HB 1127 2024
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another location and that, consistent with the Legislature's 76
regulation of pari-mutuel wagering permitholders, authorizing 77
the relocation of permits will preserve and further enhance 78
state revenues on greyhound dogracing provides substantial 79
revenues to the state. It is the further finding that, in some 80
cases, this revenue-producing ability is hindered due to the 81
lack of provisions allowing the relocation of existing dogracing 82
operations. It is therefore declared that state revenues derived 83
from greyhound dogracing will continue to be jeopardized if 84
provisions allowing the relocation of such greyhound racing 85
permits are not implemented. This enactment is made pursuant to, 86
and for the purpose of, implementing such provisions . 87
(2) Any holder of a vali d outstanding permit for greyhound 88
dogracing in a county in which there is only one dogracing 89
permit issued, as well as any holder of a valid outstanding 90
permit for jai alai in a county where only one jai alai permit 91
is issued, is authorized, without the n ecessity of an additional 92
county referendum required under s. 550.0651, to move the 93
location for which the permit has been issued to another 94
location within a 30 -mile radius of the location fixed in the 95
permit issued in that county, provided the move does not cross 96
the county boundary, that such relocation is approved under the 97
zoning regulations of the county or municipality in which the 98
permit is to be located as a planned development use, consistent 99
with the comprehensive plan, and that such move is appr oved by 100
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the commission after it is determined at a proceeding pursuant 101
to chapter 120 in the county affected that the move is necessary 102
to ensure the revenue -producing capability of the permittee 103
without deteriorating the revenue -producing capability of an y 104
other pari-mutuel permittee within 50 miles; the distance shall 105
be measured on a straight line from the nearest property line of 106
one racing plant or jai alai fronton to the nearest property 107
line of the other. 108
(3) Notwithstanding subsection (2), any gre yhound 109
dogracing permitholder, without the necessity of an additional 110
county referendum required under s. 550.0651, s. 551.101, or s. 111
849.086(17), as applicable, may move the location for which the 112
permit has been issued to another location within a 30 -mile 113
radius of the location fixed in the permit issued, provided that 114
the requirements of this subsection are met and the county to 115
which the permit will relocate has already approved pari -mutuel 116
wagering and cardrooms and slot machine operations, as 117
applicable. Notwithstanding any local government regulations, 118
permitting, or ordinances, and if the conditions of this 119
subsection are met, such permitholder may continue to operate at 120
the new location all pari -mutuel wagering and gaming activities 121
that it is already authorized and licensed to operate, including 122
activities conducted pursuant to chapters 550 and 551 and s. 123
849.086. The greyhound dogracing permit proposed for relocation 124
must, at the time of relocation, be authorized to conduct pari -125
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mutuel activities and authorized to operate a cardroom or slot 126
machines in addition to having a majority ultimate owner in 127
common with another currently licensed greyhound dogracing 128
permit, regardless of whether the permits are located in the 129
same county. Upon the commission 's final approval of the 130
relocation and issuance of all operating licenses for the new 131
location, the second greyhound dogracing permit is forfeited to 132
the state and is thereafter void. 133
(4) A pari-mutuel permitholder that relocates its pari -134
mutuel facility pursuant to subsection (3) and that is 135
authorized to operate slot machines at such facility may not 136
relocate the pari-mutuel facility to a location in Miami -Dade or 137
Broward Counties which is within a 15 -mile radius, measured in a 138
straight line, of any fa cility in Broward County operated by the 139
Seminole Tribe of Florida which offers or is authorized to offer 140
class III gaming, as defined in the federal Indian Gaming 141
Regulatory Act of 1988. 142
Section 4. Subsection (6) of section 550.0651, Florida 143
Statutes, is amended to read: 144
550.0651 Elections for ratification of permits; municipal 145
prohibitions.— 146
(6) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a 147
municipality may prohibit the establishment of a pari -mutuel 148
facility on or after July 1, 2021, in its juris diction. This 149
subsection does not apply to a permitholder who held an 150
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operating license for the conduct of pari -mutuel wagering for 151
fiscal year 2020-2021 in the municipality's jurisdiction , or to 152
a pari-mutuel facility that was previously approved by the 153
municipality, or a pari-mutuel facility that is authorized to 154
relocate pursuant to s. 550.0555(3) . 155
Section 5. Subsection (4) of section 551.102, Florida 156
Statutes, is amended to read: 157
551.102 Definitions. —As used in this chapter, the term: 158
(4) "Eligible facility" means any licensed pari -mutuel 159
facility located in Miami -Dade County or Broward County existing 160
at the time of adoption of s. 23, Art. X of the State 161
Constitution that has conducted live racing or games during 162
calendar years 2002 and 2003 and has been approved by a majority 163
of voters in a countywide referendum to have slot machines at 164
such facility in the respective county; any licensed pari -mutuel 165
facility located within a county as defined in s. 125.011, 166
provided such facility has conducted live racing for 2 167
consecutive calendar years immediately preceding its application 168
for a slot machine license, pays the required license fee, and 169
meets the other requirements of this chapter; or any licensed 170
pari-mutuel facility in any other county in whic h a majority of 171
voters have approved slot machines at such facilities in a 172
countywide referendum held pursuant to a statutory or 173
constitutional authorization after the effective date of this 174
section in the respective county, provided such facility has 175
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conducted a full schedule of live racing for 2 consecutive 176
calendar years immediately preceding its application for a slot 177
machine license, pays the required licensed fee, and meets the 178
other requirements of this chapter. The term includes any such 179
facility that has relocated pursuant to s. 550.0555(3) and 180
remains eligible to conduct slot machine operations at the new 181
location. 182
Section 6. Subsection (4) of section 551.114, Florida 183
Statutes, is amended to read: 184
551.114 Slot machine gaming areas. — 185
(4) Designated slot machine gaming areas must be located 186
at the address specified in the licensed permitholder's slot 187
machine license issued for fiscal year 2020 -2021. 188
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a pari -mutuel permit with an 189
associated license for slot mach ine gaming relocates pursuant to 190
s. 550.0555(3), the designated slot machine gaming area must be 191
located at the location approved for the relocation of the pari -192
mutuel permit. 193
Section 7. Subsections (16) and (17) of section 849.086, 194
Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 195
849.086 Cardrooms authorized. — 196
(16) LOCAL GOVERNMENT APPROVAL. — 197
(a) The commission may shall not issue any initial license 198
under this section except upon proof in such form as the 199
commission may prescribe that the local government where the 200
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applicant for such license desires to conduct cardroom gaming 201
has voted to approve such activity by a majority vote of the 202
governing body of the municipality or the governing body of the 203
county if the facility is not located in a municipality. 204
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a 205
municipality may prohibit the establishment of a cardroom on or 206
after July 1, 2021, within its jurisdiction. This paragraph does 207
not apply to a licensed pari -mutuel permitholder who held an 208
operating license for the conduct of pari -mutuel wagering for 209
fiscal year 2020-2021 in the municipality's jurisdiction , or to 210
a cardroom that was previously approved by the municipality , or 211
a cardroom operated at a pari -mutuel facility authorized to 212
relocate pursuant to s. 550.0555(3). 213
(17) CHANGE OF LOCATION; REFERENDUM. — 214
(a) Notwithstanding any provisions of this section, no 215
cardroom gaming license issued under this section shall be 216
transferred, or reissued when such reissuance is in the nature 217
of a transfer, so as to permit or authorize a licensee to change 218
the location of the cardroom except upon proof in such form as 219
the commission may prescribe that a referendum election has been 220
held: 221
1. If the proposed new location is within the same county 222
as the already licensed location, in the county where the 223
licensee desires to conduct cardroom gaming and that a majority 224
of the electors voting on the question in such election voted in 225
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favor of the transfer of such license. Notwithstanding the 226
foregoing However, the commission shall transfer, without 227
requirement of a referendum election, the cardroom license of 228
any permitholder that relocated its permit pursuant to s. 229
550.0555. 230
2. If the proposed new location is not within the same 231
county as the already licensed location , in the county where the 232
licensee desires to conduct cardroom gaming and that a majority 233
of the electors voting on that question in each such election 234
voted in favor of the transfer of such license. 235
(b) The expense of each referendum held under the 236
provisions of this subsection shall be borne by the licensee 237
requesting the transfer. 238
Section 8. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 239