The gambling industry has contributed at least US$12.2 million to candidates and political committees in Florida during the 2026 election cycle, just six days before the August 18 primaries, with the Seminole Tribe of Florida accounting for roughly three out of every four dollars contributed by casinos, sportsbooks, online gambling platforms and prediction markets.
The largest recipient is Byron Donalds, the Republican candidate for governor, who has received close to half of the identified gambling-related money, or about US$6 million according to the investigation published on August 11. Florida’s Division of Elections confirms that the governorship is on the ballot this year and that Donalds had also received US$662,350.93 in public matching funds as of July 17. The primaries are scheduled for August 18, with mandatory early voting running from August 8 through August 15, while the general election will take place on November 3, 2026.
Marcellus W. Osceola Jr
The political spending surge comes as Florida faces a broader fight over the future of digital gambling. The 2021 Gaming Compact, incorporated into Florida Statutes §285.710, underpins the framework allowing the Seminole Tribe to operate sports betting through Hard Rock. The Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) states that, except for wagering conducted through sportsbooks operated by or in coordination with the tribe, online sports betting in Florida is likely illegal.
Julie Imanuel Brown
The Seminole Tribe is chaired by Marcellus W. Osceola Jr., while the state regulator is led by Julie Imanuel Brown, Chair of the FGCC, with Alana Zimmer serving as Executive Director. The commission oversees pari-mutuel wagering, cardrooms, slots and compliance with the compact, while its fiscal operations account for approximately US$341 million in revenue-share payments from the tribe.
The dispute is widening with Kalshi and other prediction markets regulated federally by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, chaired by Michael S. Selig, who maintains that the CFTC has exclusive jurisdiction over these event contracts.
The Seminole Tribe also contributed US$50,000 to the political effort backing former Florida Governor Charlie Crist in the St. Petersburg mayoral race, while incumbent Mayor Ken Welch has questioned the growing influence of gambling money in a contest where the future of Derby Lane and broader entertainment development remain another political flashpoint.
