Gambling companies and tribal gaming interests have contributed more than $12 million to Florida political campaigns ahead of the 2026 midterms. Most of that money has gone to Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds, the current frontrunner.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida, which owns Hard Rock International and holds exclusive rights to mobile sports betting in the state, accounts for the largest single share at roughly $9 million. The tribe gave $4 million of that directly to Donalds.
Sportsbook operators shut out of Florida’s regulated market, along with prediction market companies operating there without a state license, have also opened their checkbooks. Donalds alone has received more than $6 million from gambling-linked donors.
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Who Is Giving, and How Much
The table below breaks down the major contributions reported through Florida’s campaign finance database.
| Donor | Total Contributed | Notes |
| Seminole Tribe of Florida | ~$9 million | $4 million went to Donalds; tribe holds exclusive mobile sports betting rights |
| Jeff Yass (Susquehanna co-founder, Kalshi investor) | $11 million | $7.5 million direct to Donalds, $3.5 million to a supporting committee |
| FanDuel | $581,000 | Nearly all to Donalds’ political committee |
| DK Crown Holdings (DraftKings) | $525,000 | Most went to Donalds |
| Sports Betting Alliance | $250,000 | All to Donalds |
| Caesars Entertainment | $245,000 | – |
| Sideprize (PrizePicks parent) | ~$400,000 | – |
| Underdog Sports | ~$280,000 | – |
| Kalshi | $268,000 | $75,000 went directly to Donalds |
| Robinhood | $200,000 | Entirely to Donalds |
| Poarch Creek Indians | $555,000 | $100,000 went to Donalds |
Source: Florida Division of Elections campaign finance database, contributions reported through July 2026.
Prediction market investor Jeff Yass gave the single largest sum. Yass co-founded Susquehanna International Group, which invests in Kalshi and co-owns the exchange Rothera alongside Robinhood.
Why the Seminole Tribe Controls Florida Sports Betting
Florida’s 2021 gaming compact treats mobile sports bets as occurring on tribal land whenever they route through servers the Seminole Tribe controls. That structure gives the tribe exclusive control over legal mobile sports betting through its Hard Rock Bet app.
Commercial operators such as FanDuel, DraftKings, and Caesars cannot legally offer mobile sportsbooks in Florida under that arrangement. Their political spending reflects a clear interest in how the next governor treats the compact and any future market changes.
Prediction Markets Add a New Wrinkle
Several major contributors, including DraftKings, Underdog, and Robinhood, have launched prediction market platforms that offer sports event contracts in Florida without a state gaming license or a role in the Seminole compact. FanDuel and PrizePicks offer similar contracts through third-party exchanges.
That approach has triggered legal fights in other states, where regulators argue sports event contracts count as gambling under state law. Prediction market operators counter that federal commodities law covers their contracts instead.
Florida has not challenged prediction markets so far. That makes the next governor’s stance on the sector a real point of interest for operators, regardless of how the sports betting compact plays out.
The Political Backdrop
Donalds is a close ally of President Donald Trump, who has endorsed his campaign. Trump has publicly supported prediction markets, and his son, Donald Trump Jr., serves as a paid adviser to Kalshi and holds an investment in Polymarket.
None of the contributions reported so far show how Donalds would handle prediction market policy as governor. They do show a gambling industry positioning itself early with a candidate widely seen as the likely next occupant of the governor’s office.
What This Means for Florida Bettors
Hard Rock Bet remains the only legal, licensed online sportsbook in Florida. Online casino games, or iGaming, are not legal in the state at all.
Prediction market platforms such as Kalshi, Robinhood, and DraftKings’ in-house exchange currently operate in Florida without a state gaming license, since they rely on federal commodities rules rather than state gambling law.
Florida bettors should treat that distinction carefully. A platform’s availability in the state does not necessarily mean it carries the same consumer protections as a licensed sportsbook, and the legal landscape could shift depending on future state action.
