People who opposed the Seminole Tribe online sports betting compact with Florida lost their most recent fight. The State Supreme Court ruled that the opponents filed the wrong petition when challenging the compact between Governor Ron DeSantis’ administration and the Seminole Tribe. Thus, people can bet sports online in Florida soon.
The ruling was the most recent disappointment for the Florida-based gambling companies Bonita-Fort Myers Corporation and West Flagler Associates. Additionally, they have asked the United States Supreme Court to hear their case challenging the agreement, which they are doing in federal court.
An attorney representing the opponents did not respond to an email requesting comment. According to sports handicapping experts, the court’s decision allows the opponents to request a rehearing of the case.
Seminole Tribe Online Sports Betting Gets the Green Light
According to the two parimutuel companies, the council and the tribe inked a deal in 2021 that grants the tribe a monopoly on sports betting. Additionally, they claim it establishes an indirect loophole around the 2018 Florida Constitutional amendment requiring a people’s initiative to extend casino gaming outside tribal property. They claim that DeSantis and the Florida Legislature had erred in permitting sports betting outside tribe grounds when they authorized the contract.
Regarding taking bets made via mobile phones and computers from anywhere in Florida, opponents have raised concerns about the legality of online sports betting on tribal grounds, mainly because it is just the computer servers.
According to the pay per head bookie experts, the amendment does not alter the legislative’s power to determine the locations of internet gaming establishments. Legal counsel for both DeSantis and the top lawmakers in the legislature have argued that the constitutional amendment does not ban sports betting since it differs from gambling in casinos.
With the debut of the tribe’s internet sports betting activity at the end of last year, Florida stands to earn over $120 million in its portion of earnings for 2024. By the end of this decade, state economic analysts estimate that tribal casino revenue share might reach $4.4 billion.
