Syfert Injury Law Firm

Your Trusted Partner in Personal Injury & Workers' Compensation

Call Now: 904-383-7448
Florida Statute 550.0251 - Full Text and Legal Analysis
Florida Statute 550.0251 | Lawyer Caselaw & Research
Link to State of Florida Official Statute
F.S. 550.0251 Case Law from Google Scholar Google Search for Amendments to 550.0251

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XXXIII
REGULATION OF TRADE, COMMERCE, INVESTMENTS, AND SOLICITATIONS
Chapter 550
PARI-MUTUEL WAGERING
View Entire Chapter
F.S. 550.0251
550.0251 Powers and duties of the Florida Gaming Control Commission.The commission shall administer this chapter and regulate the pari-mutuel industry under this chapter and the rules adopted pursuant thereto, and:
(1) The commission shall make an annual report to the Governor showing its own actions, receipts derived under the provisions of this chapter, the practical effects of the application of this chapter, and any suggestions it may approve for the more effectual accomplishments of the purposes of this chapter.
(2) The commission shall require an oath on application documents as required by rule, which oath must state that the information contained in the document is true and complete.
(3) The commission shall adopt reasonable rules for the control, supervision, and direction of all applicants, permittees, and licensees and for the holding, conducting, and operating of all racetracks, race meets, and races held in this state. Such rules must be uniform in their application and effect, and the duty of exercising this control and power is made mandatory upon the commission.
(4) The commission may take testimony concerning any matter within its jurisdiction and issue summons and subpoenas for any witness and subpoenas duces tecum in connection with any matter within the jurisdiction of the commission under its seal and signed by the director.
(5) The commission may adopt rules establishing procedures for testing occupational licenseholders officiating at or participating in any race or game at any pari-mutuel facility under the jurisdiction of the commission for a controlled substance or alcohol and may prescribe procedural matters not in conflict with s. 120.80(19).
(6) In addition to the power to exclude certain persons from any pari-mutuel facility in this state, the commission may exclude any person from any and all pari-mutuel facilities in this state for conduct that would constitute, if the person were a licensee, a violation of this chapter or the rules of the commission. The commission may exclude from any pari-mutuel facility within this state any person who has been ejected from a pari-mutuel facility in this state or who has been excluded from any pari-mutuel facility in another state by the governmental department, agency, commission, or authority exercising regulatory jurisdiction over pari-mutuel facilities in such other state. The commission may authorize any person who has been ejected or excluded from pari-mutuel facilities in this state or another state to attend the pari-mutuel facilities in this state upon a finding that the attendance of such person at pari-mutuel facilities would not be adverse to the public interest or to the integrity of the sport or industry; however, this subsection shall not be construed to abrogate the common-law right of a pari-mutuel permitholder to exclude absolutely a patron in this state.
(7) The commission may oversee the making of, and distribution from, all pari-mutuel pools.
(8) The commission may collect taxes and require compliance with reporting requirements for financial information as authorized by this chapter. In addition, the commission may require permitholders conducting pari-mutuel operations within the state to remit taxes, including fees, by electronic funds transfer if the taxes and fees amounted to $50,000 or more in the prior reporting year.
(9) The commission may conduct investigations in enforcing this chapter, except that all information obtained pursuant to an investigation by the commission for an alleged violation of this chapter or rules of the commission is exempt from s. 119.07(1) and from s. 24(a), Art. I of the State Constitution until an administrative complaint is issued or the investigation is closed or ceases to be active. This subsection does not prohibit the commission from providing such information to any law enforcement agency or to any other regulatory agency. For the purposes of this subsection, an investigation is considered to be active while it is being conducted with reasonable dispatch and with a reasonable, good faith belief that it could lead to an administrative, civil, or criminal action by the commission or another administrative or law enforcement agency. Except for active criminal intelligence or criminal investigative information, as defined in s. 119.011, and any other information that, if disclosed, would jeopardize the safety of an individual, all information, records, and transcriptions become public when the investigation is closed or ceases to be active.
(10) The commission may impose an administrative fine for a violation under this chapter of not more than $1,000 for each count or separate offense, except as otherwise provided in this chapter, and may suspend or revoke a permit, a pari-mutuel license, or an occupational license for a violation under this chapter. All fines imposed and collected under this subsection must be deposited with the Chief Financial Officer to the credit of the General Revenue Fund.
(11) The commission shall supervise and regulate the welfare of racing animals at pari-mutuel facilities.
(12) The commission shall have full authority and power to make, adopt, amend, or repeal rules relating to cardroom operations, to enforce and to carry out the provisions of s. 849.086, and to regulate the authorized cardroom activities in the state.
(13) The commission shall have the authority to suspend a permitholder’s permit or license, if such permitholder is operating a cardroom facility and such permitholder’s cardroom license has been suspended or revoked pursuant to s. 849.086.
History.s. 7, ch. 92-348; s. 207, ch. 94-218; s. 1, ch. 95-204; s. 3, ch. 95-390; s. 21, ch. 96-364; s. 343, ch. 96-406; s. 248, ch. 96-410; s. 652, ch. 2003-261; s. 105, ch. 2005-2; s. 10, ch. 2022-7; s. 8, ch. 2022-179.

F.S. 550.0251 on Google Scholar

F.S. 550.0251 on CourtListener

Amendments to 550.0251


Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 550.0251

Total Results: 11

Kennel Club v. Dept. of Business

719 So. 2d 1210, 1998 WL 552426

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Sep 2, 1998 | Docket: 1352093

Cited 5 times | Published

086(4)(a), Florida Statutes (Supp.1996), and section 550.0251(12), Florida Statutes (Supp.1996), as the

Witmer v. DEPT. OF BUS. & PROF. REG.

662 So. 2d 1299

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Oct 25, 1995 | Docket: 1683521

Cited 5 times | Published

1991 Legislature and reenacted in 1992 as section 550.0251(5). It *1302 gave to the Division the authority

Gulfstream Park Racing Ass'n, Inc. v. Tampa Bay Downs, Inc.

294 F. Supp. 2d 1291, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20225, 2003 WL 22888995

District Court, M.D. Florida | Filed: Nov 7, 2003 | Docket: 2436682

Cited 3 times | Published

because they violate Florida law. Indeed under Section 550.0251(10), the Division had the authority to fine

DEPT. OF BUSINESS v. Calder Race Course

724 So. 2d 100, 1998 WL 422515

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jul 29, 1998 | Docket: 1410625

Cited 2 times | Published

issue in this appeal was not authorized by section 550.0251, Florida Statutes, under the 1996 amendments

Department of Business & Professional Regulation, Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering v. Dania Entertainment Center, LLC

229 So. 3d 1259

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Nov 8, 2017 | Docket: 6219403

Cited 1 times | Published

designated player games. The ALJ found that neither section 550.0251(12) nor section 849.086(4), Florida Statutes

Summer Jai Alai Partners v. Department of Business & Professional Regulation, Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering

125 So. 3d 304, 2013 WL 5539339, 2013 Fla. App. LEXIS 15934

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Oct 9, 2013 | Docket: 60235831

Cited 1 times | Published

regulating pari-mutuel wagering in Florida, see § 550.0251, Fla. Stat. (2012) (providing that the Division

Hennessey v. DEPT. OF BUS. & PROF'L REG. DIVISION OF PARI-MUTUEL WAGERING

818 So. 2d 697, 2002 WL 1306019

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jun 17, 2002 | Docket: 1652843

Cited 1 times | Published

statutes identified in rule 61D-6.002 are section 550.0251(3), Florida Statutes, and sections 550.2415(2)

South Marion Real Estate Holdings, LLC d/b/a Oxford Downs, and Darold R. Donnelly v. Florida Gaming Control Commission

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: May 17, 2024 | Docket: 68003650

Published

0251(12) and 849.086, Florida Statutes (2022). Section 550.0251(12) provides: “The commission shall have full

South Florida Racing Ass'n v. State, Department of Business & Professional Regulation

201 So. 3d 57, 2015 Fla. App. LEXIS 11334

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Jul 29, 2015 | Docket: 2679127

Published

pari-mutuel wagering in Florida. See § 550.0251(3), Fla. Stat. (2013) (“The division shall adopt

South Florida Racing Association, LLC, Etc. v. Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Etc.

143 So. 3d 1149, 2014 WL 3844040, 2014 Fla. App. LEXIS 12045

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Aug 6, 2014 | Docket: 761288

Published

Code, promulgated by the Division pursuant to section 550.0251, Florida Statutes, should govern the Division’s

Witmer v. Department of Business & Professional Regulation, Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering

662 So. 2d 1299, 1995 Fla. App. LEXIS 11345, 1995 WL 621356

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Oct 25, 1995 | Docket: 64760192

Published

1991 Legislature and reenacted in 1992 as section 550.0251(5). It *1302gave to the Division the authority