The second phase of Florida’s ongoing battle over secession emerged on Tuesday when Rep. Adam Anderson introduced a bill that would permit Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach to operate a slot machine casino without the requirement of hosting live horse races as soon as 2030. The legislation would also affect Tampa Bay Downs, which currently doesn’t have slot machines but could maintain its card rooms without live horse racing if the bill passes. Notice to end live racing cannot be issued before July 1, 2027, and must be given with three years’ notice.
Florida’s legislative session for 2026 is set to begin on January 13.
The bill, HB881, presents new provisions not seen in Anderson’s earlier decoupling bill from this year, which had cleared the House but stalled in the Senate due to opposition from Governor Ron DeSantis. HB881 grants pari-mutuel permit holders the right to rent another pari-mutuel venue or thoroughbred training center within an 80-mile radius of a racetrack to host live races. For example, Palm Meadows training center, also owned by The Stronach Group like Gulfstream Park, is located 47 miles away in Palm Beach County. The bill specifies that thoroughbred permit holders moving pari-mutuel operations to a training center would not be allowed to open a card room.
Additionally, the bill paves the way for thoroughbred racing at Hialeah Park, which currently holds a quarter horse racing permit. Hialeah last held thoroughbred races in 2001 and continued quarter horse and match races until the 2021 non-thoroughbred separation bill was enacted. That law ended Standardbred racing at Pompano Park and allowed Hialeah to keep its slot casino without live racing. Performance at Jai Alai also got separated from casino permits. Greyhound racing was banned statewide in 2018 by voter approval.
HB881 would enable Hialeah’s quarter horse permit to be converted into a limited thoroughbred permit within one year after the bill’s passage. The tenant must be a nonprofit corporation established under state law to fulfill state purposes. The operator’s board would include 11 members: four appointed by the applicant, four by the state board, and three elected by those eight members.
The bill also allows permit holders to charge an extra fee of up to 5% on winning bets made at Florida simulcast facilities on races outside Florida, unrelated to the decoupling. These fees would be split between the hosting Florida racetrack and jockey compensation.
This article was originally published by Paulick Report on December 23, 2025 and first appeared in its News section.
Fan Take: This bill is significant for horse racing enthusiasts because it signals a potential shift in Florida’s racing landscape, especially with Gulfstream Park and Hialeah possibly decoupling live racing from casino operations. If passed, this could reshape where and how thoroughbred racing is conducted in Florida, impacting the sport’s tradition and economic structure.
