Sports betting drives jump in calls to Florida problem gambling helpline
Calls about online wagering have more than doubled to Florida’s problem gambling helpline since the legalization of sports betting in Florida in 2023. The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling oversees the state’s around-the-clock helpline, 888-ADMIT-IT. Last year, more than 2,400 Floridians sought help from the organization. Of those, 1,400 were calling for help with online gambling, making it the No. 1 reason for calls. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Column: Economic analysis warns workforce disruptions could cost Florida $9B
For small businesses, even brief disruptions can have significant consequences. When employees miss work, schools close, or illness spreads through a community, the impact isn’t theoretical. It affects payroll, operations, and customer confidence. That’s why a new Florida-specific economic analysis by the Regional Economic Consulting Group, founded by former senior economists from Florida’s executive and legislative branches, deserves attention. [Source: Florida Politics]
Florida has a new richest company and it's not even close in rankings
Controversial AI data analytics giant Palantir Technologies automatically became Florida's richest company with the surprise move of its headquarters to Miami from Denver that was announced Feb. 17. That's because the public company (NASDAQ: PLTR) has a market capitalization value of more than $322 billion as of the close of Wall Street's regular trading session on Friday, Feb. 20. Since the announcement of its move to Florida, Palantir's stock price has risen 4.91%. [Source: Florida Today]
Proposed budgets defund Florida Forever, but provide for conservation easements
Florida environmentalists are sounding the alarm that the Florida Legislature once again appears poised to dramatically reduce funding for Florida Forever, the state’s main program for buying land for conservation. Although the Legislature allocated $18 million last year, the House’s proposed FY 2026/27 budget defunds the program outright, while the Senate allocates $35 million, with that money directed to easements on private agricultural lands only, eliminating traditional land acquisition. [Source: Florida Phoenix]
Florida ranks No. 2 in statewide foreclosure pressure
The Florida economy in many ways is rolling, something the Florida Chamber of Commerce has been pointing out early and often in 2026; the chamber, for one, recently predicted the state’s GDP growth in 2026 will solidly outpace the nation. While not disputing that, a new study of foreclosure pressure per state finds Florida in an unenviable position: it’s No. 2 in the country for states facing the highest foreclosure risk. [Source: Business Observer]
Confidence, expertise, and hope
Treating patients who have run out of options elsewhere is a hallmark of Jackson Heart Institute, where Hari Mallidi, MD, whose credentials include working at Harvard Medical School and Stanford University, has built a team with an impressive breadth and depth of talent. [Sponsored report]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World has sold as part of $1.1 billion deal
Host Hotels & Resorts has sold the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort and the Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole in Teton Village, Wyoming, to a foreign buyer for $1.1 billion. Orlando Owner LLC is named as the buyer, according to deeds filed Monday in Orange County. The company is managed by Coburn Packard and Ken Gerold of BDT&MSD Partners, an investment bank established by Dell Computers founder Michael Dell.
› Million-dollar-plus homes are leading the way in Miami
In December, for instance, $1 million-and-up single-family sales were up 12% in Miami-Dade and 16% in Broward. In November, total $1 million-and-up transactions in Miami-Dade rose about 13% compared to the previous year. In Broward, they rose more than 5%. As more wealthy people from California and New York move to Florida, the Miami Association of Realtors has declared South Florida the No. 1 ultra-luxury market in the country.
› Storm debris spurs Sarasota to hike solid waste rates for residents
Sarasota residents will see their solid waste rates rise by more than 10% to accommodate the city’s new storm debris collection program. City commissioners voted unanimously to approve the measure. Residents’ solid waste rates will go up by $3.63 per month — an additional $43.56 annually. Currently, monthly rates are $35.05. For the city’s businesses, rate increases depend on the level of service, Sarasota spokesperson Luke Mocherman said in an email.
› Freebee accelerates growth across Florida, eyes major national expansion
In sprawling, car-choked South Florida and beyond, a fleet of bright electric vehicles has been quietly rewriting the playbook for how cities move. What began 14 years ago as a scrappy marketing experiment on the streets of Miami Beach has blossomed into Freebee, the largest provider of microtransit in Florida. Today, Freebee’s fleets of electric vehicles aren’t just for local convenience; they are a critical pillar of Florida’s public infrastructure.
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› Longtime Winter Park Chamber leader to step down for new role
The Winter Park Chamber of Commerce president and CEO is stepping down. Betsy Gardner will depart her role with the chamber May 1 as she prepares to start a new business, leadership and content development firm called Evermore Advisory. She has held the role since January 2017, leading the chamber, which has more than 825 members and $3.04 million in assets.
› 1 in 10 Jacksonville homes are built strictly to rent
What looks like a typical neighborhood in Jacksonville, with rows of new single-family homes that have driveways and manicured lawns, might not be for sale at all. From 2022 to 2024, more than 1 out of every 10 single-family homes built in Duval County was constructed specifically to rent, according to a News4Jax analysis of county property records. Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one. Since 2019, the number of build-to-rent homes in the area has grown by roughly 600%, according to data from Point2Homes.
› Businesses in Plant City help uplift other businesses as Florida Strawberry Festival kicks off
Strawberry season is a big deal in Plant City, which is known as the winter strawberry capital of the world. With the season comes the Florida Strawberry Festival, drawing in thousands of visitors, many of whom turn into repeat customers for local businesses. The months after Christmas can be slow for retailers, making strawberry season a welcome boost.
› Should Deerfield Beach rethink beachside development rules? The city is taking a fresh look
Deerfield Beach voters may get a say on the issue of development along the city’s beach, more than 20 years after setting rules in place. Beachside development currently is enforced by two amendments in the city’s charter, both of which are the result of residents’ efforts for a referendum that appeared during the Nov. 5, 2002, election. A group called the Original Save Our Beach banded together and gathered signatures needed to get the issue on the ballot, and 75% of voters approved the change.