Florida Senate - 2025 SB 408
By Senator Burgess
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A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to thoroughbred permitholders; 2
amending s. 550.01215, F.S .; removing a requirement 3
that a thoroughbred permitholder must conduct live 4
racing; amending s. 551.104, F.S.; removing certain 5
slot machine gaming licensure requirements for 6
thoroughbred permitholders who are slot machine 7
licensees; providing an effective date. 8
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 10
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Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 12
550.01215, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 13
550.01215 License application; periods of operation; 14
license fees; bond.— 15
(1) Each permitholder shall annually, during the period 16
between January 15 and February 4, file in writing with the 17
commission its application for an operating license for a pari -18
mutuel facility for the conduct of pari -mutuel wagering during 19
the next state fiscal year, including intertrack and simulcast 20
race wagering. Each application for live performances must 21
specify the number, dates, and starting times of all live 22
performances that the permitholder intends to conduct. It must 23
also specify which performances will be conducted as charity or 24
scholarship performances. 25
(b)1. A greyhound permitholder may not conduct live racing. 26
A jai alai permitholder, thoroughbred permitholder, harness 27
horse racing permitholder, or quarter horse racing permitholder 28
may elect not to conduct live racing or games. A thoroughbred 29 Florida Senate - 2025 SB 408
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permitholder must conduct live racing. A greyhound permitholder, 30
jai alai permitholder, thoroughbred permitholder, harness horse 31
racing permitholder, or quarter horse racing permitholder that 32
does not conduct live racing or games retains its permit; is a 33
pari-mutuel facility as defined in s. 550.002(23); if such 34
permitholder has been issued a slot machine license, the 35
facility where such permit is located remains an eligible 36
facility as defined in s. 551.102(4), continues to be eligible 37
for a slot machine license pursuant to s. 551.104(3), and is 38
exempt from ss. 551.104(10) ss. 551.104(4)(c) and (10) and 39
551.114(2); is eligible, but not required, to be a guest track 40
and, if the permitholder is a harness horse racing permitholder, 41
to be a host track for purposes of intertrack wagering and 42
simulcasting pursuant to ss. 550.3551, 550.615, 550.625, and 43
550.6305; and remains eligible for a cardroom license. 44
2. A permitholder or licensee may not conduct live 45
greyhound racing or dogracing in connection with any wager for 46
money or any other thing of value in the state. The commission 47
may deny, suspend, or revoke any permit or license under this 48
chapter if a permitholder or licensee conducts live greyhound 49
racing or dogracing in violation of this subparagraph. In 50
addition to, or in lieu of, denial, suspension, or revocation of 51
such permit or license, the commission may impose a civil 52
penalty of up to $5,000 against the permitholder or licensee for 53
a violation of this subparagraph. All penalties imposed and 54
collected must be deposited with the Chief Financial Officer to 55
the credit of the General Revenue Fund. 56
Section 2. Paragraphs (d) through (j) of subsection (4) of 57
section 551.104, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as 58 Florida Senate - 2025 SB 408
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paragraphs (c) through (i), respectively, and paragraph (c) of 59
subsection (4) and paragraph (a) of subsection (10) of that 60
section are amended, to read: 61
551.104 License to conduct slot machine gaming. — 62
(4) As a condition of licensure and to maintain continued 63
authority for the conduct of slot machine gaming, the slot 64
machine licensee shall: 65
(c) If a thoroughbred permitholder, conduct no fewer than a 66
full schedule of live racing or games as defined in s. 67
550.002(10). A permitholder’s responsibility to conduct live 68
races or games shall be reduced by the number of races or games 69
that could not be conducted due to the direct result of fire, 70
strike, war, hurricane, pandemic, or other disaster or event 71
beyond the control of the permitholder. 72
(10)(a)1. No slot machine license or renewal thereof shall 73
be issued to an applicant holding a permit under chapter 550 to 74
conduct pari-mutuel wagering meets of thoroughbred racing unless 75
the applicant has on file with the commission a binding written 76
agreement between the applicant and the Florida Horsemen’s 77
Benevolent and Protective Association, Inc., governing the 78
payment of purses on live thoroughbred races conducted at the 79
licensee’s pari-mutuel facility. In addition, no slot machine 80
license or renewal thereof shall be issued to such an applicant 81
unless the applicant has on file with the commission a binding 82
written agreement between the applicant and the Florida 83
Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, Inc., governing the payment 84
of breeders’, stallion, and special racing awards on live 85
thoroughbred races conducted at the licensee’s pari -mutuel 86
facility. The agreement governing purses and the agreement 87 Florida Senate - 2025 SB 408
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governing awards may direct the payment of such purses and 88
awards from revenues generated by any wagering or gaming the 89
applicant is authorized to conduct under Florida law. All purses 90
and awards shall be subject to the terms of chapter 550. All 91
sums for breeders’, stallion, and special racing awards shall be 92
remitted monthly to the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ 93
Association, Inc., for the payment of awards subject to the 94
administrative fee authorized in s. 550.2625(3). 95
2. No slot machine license or renewal thereof shall be 96
issued to an applicant holding a permit under chapter 550 to 97
conduct pari-mutuel wagering meets of quarter horse racing 98
unless the applicant has on file with the commission a binding 99
written agreement between the applicant and the Florida Quarter 100
Horse Racing Association or the association representing a 101
majority of the horse owners and trainers at the applicant’s 102
eligible facility, governing the payment of purses on live 103
quarter horse races conducted at the licensee’s pari -mutuel 104
facility. The agreement governing purses may direct the payment 105
of such purses from revenues generated by any wagering or gaming 106
the applicant is authorized to conduct under Florida law. All 107
purses shall be subject to the terms of chapter 550. 108
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 109