Florida’s gaming businesses, which have been regulated by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Pari-mutuel Wagering (DPMW), will become the responsibility of the Florida Gaming Control Commission on July 1, 2022. The new organization will oversee wagering at casinos and pari-mutuel wagering facilities in the state, including Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs.
The members of the five-person Commission include Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) Secretary Julie Brown, as well as Chuck Drago and Michael Yaworsky, formerly DBPR executives. Two members have yet to be named. Lou Trombetta, the executive director of DPMW, takes over as executive director of the Florida Gaming Control Commission.
The Florida Gaming Control Commission was created via legislation passed during a special session of the Florida State legislature in May of 2021. Also passed during the special session were laws that decoupled harness and greyhound racing, while maintaining that requirement for Thoroughbred racing; allow for night racing for Thoroughbred racing; and allow slot machine gaming areas to be moved away from the main building, as long as they are still located at the same address. The last provision would allow Gulfstream Park to have a stand-alone casino.