Dog racing is not legal in Florida when money is on the line. Voters wrote the ban into the state constitution in November 2018 by approving Amendment 13 with about 69 percent support, and the last legal commercial greyhound race in the state ran on December 31, 2020. Non-wagering events where dogs run for sport are still allowed, but betting on a live dog race in Florida is a crime.
What the Constitution Says
Amendment 13 added Section 32 to Article X of the Florida Constitution. The language is direct: no person licensed to run a gaming or pari-mutuel operation may race greyhounds or any other dog in connection with a wager, and no one in Florida may bet on the outcome of a live dog race happening in the state.1Animal Legal & Historical Center. Florida Constitution Amendment 13 – Prohibition on Racing of and Wagering on Greyhounds or Other Dogs The amendment built in a two-year wind-down so tracks could close out operations by the end of 2020.
Because the ban is constitutional, the legislature cannot undo it with an ordinary statute. Reversing it would take another statewide ballot measure passing with at least 60 percent of the vote. Lawmakers reinforced the prohibition in Florida Statute 550.3616, which mirrors the constitutional text and attaches criminal penalties.2Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 550.3616 – Racing Greyhounds or Other Dogs Prohibited; Penalty
Criminal Penalties for Racing or Betting
A first offense under Section 550.3616 is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. A second or subsequent offense becomes a third-degree felony, carrying up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.2Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 550.3616 – Racing Greyhounds or Other Dogs Prohibited; Penalty
Section 849.251 covers the wagering side separately, with the same tiered structure. Placing a bet on a live dog race in Florida is a first-degree misdemeanor the first time and a third-degree felony on any later offense. The statute also reaches anyone who helps organize a race or conspires to arrange one.3Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 849.251 – Wagering, Aiding, Abetting, or Conniving to Race or Wager on Greyhounds or Other Dogs; Penalty
One feature of both statutes catches people off guard. Courts cannot suspend, defer, or withhold adjudication of guilt for any conviction. Even on a first offense, a finding of guilt produces a formal conviction on the record.
What Former Tracks Still Do
Shuttering the races did not shutter the venues. Florida law lets former pari-mutuel facilities continue offering other forms of gambling, and for greyhound permitholders the state no longer requires live racing as a condition of holding a gaming license. The same is true for jai alai, harness horse, and quarter horse permitholders. Thoroughbred permitholders remain the only category still tied to live racing to keep other gaming operations, though pending legislation would change that.
Former tracks commonly operate licensed cardrooms offering poker and other authorized card games, paying an annual license fee of $1,000 per table into the state’s Pari-mutuel Wagering Trust Fund.4Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 849.086 – Cardrooms Authorized Many also simulcast horse races and jai alai from other locations and take wagers on those events.5Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 550.3551 – Transmission of Racing and Jai Alai Information; Commingling of Pari-mutuel Pools Slot machine gaming is narrower, restricted mainly to Miami-Dade and Broward counties, where voters approved it by referendum at facilities that conducted live racing or games during 2002 and 2003.6Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes Chapter 551 – Slot Machines
When Greyhounds Can Still Run
Both the constitutional amendment and the implementing statutes target racing “in connection with any wager for money or any other thing of value.”1Animal Legal & Historical Center. Florida Constitution Amendment 13 – Prohibition on Racing of and Wagering on Greyhounds or Other Dogs If no money or thing of value rides on the outcome, the activity falls outside the prohibition. Breed enthusiasts and rescue organizations can host events where greyhounds run for sport, exhibition, or demonstration, and these gatherings do not require a gaming license. The line is simple: the moment someone takes or places a bet on which dog finishes first, the activity becomes illegal.
Where the Rest of the Country Stands
Florida’s vote reshaped the industry nationally. The state had hosted more greyhound tracks than the rest of the country combined, and once those closed, the industry contracted sharply. As of 2026, commercial greyhound racing is illegal in 44 states. Live racing continues at a small number of facilities in West Virginia, including Mardi Gras Casino & Resort in Cross Lanes.
At the federal level, the Greyhound Protection Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives, both as a standalone bill and as part of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.7Congress.gov. H.R.5017 – 119th Congress (2025-2026) Greyhound Protection Act The House version would ban commercial greyhound racing nationwide and impose criminal penalties of up to seven years in prison. The Senate’s version of the farm bill does not include the greyhound provisions, so the federal ban remains uncertain. None of that changes the picture inside Florida, where the activity is already off the table.