SPGA Response to Florida Senate Bill 1404 and House Bill 953

The Social and Promotional Games Association is acutely concerned by the pre-filed Florida Senate Bill 1404 and House Bill 953. These bills inaccurately conflate safe and legal social sweepstakes games with “Internet gambling” and “Internet sports wagering.”

This legislative overreach would criminalize legitimate business activities that entertain millions of Florida adults who enjoy social gaming experiences. 

The bills risk depriving Florida of tens of millions of dollars in revenue at a time when the state’s budget deficit is projected to grow to $7 billion in the next three years. 

These misguided proposals threaten significant unintended consequences that could make criminals out of major companies that regularly use sweepstakes promotions, such as Coinbase and Starbucks, not to mention the thousands of small businesses that rely on sweepstakes and similar marketing tools to survive and thrive.

No legislature should dictate to American adults what games they can and can’t play on their phones. Outlawing free-to-play mobile games is a drastic measure that Florida voters should resolutely reject.

The SPGA urges Florida lawmakers to engage with industry representatives to better understand the legal and operational differences between sweepstakes gaming and gambling before advancing legislation that would harm businesses operating legitimately under longstanding promotional sweepstakes laws.