Supreme Court New Ruling on Florida’s Seminole Tribe Betting Compact
By Space Coast Daily // July 5, 2024
June 18th was a big day for the online betting scene in Florida and perhaps even throughout the entire U.S. We witnessed the closure of the federal case involving a lawsuit filed by West Flagler Associates and Bonita-Fort Myers Corporation to challenge the Florida betting compact.
Back in 2021, the state signed a 30-year deal with the Seminole tribe, granting them exclusivity in offering online sports betting in Florida. The compact also stipulated that the state would receive $20 billion over the course of three decades, with $2.5 billion paid in the first five years. On the other hand, it meant bad news for West Flagler as the previous owner of Magic City Casino in Miami.
Legal Background of The Lawsuit
Based on the deal signed by Ron DeSantis, head of government administration, and the Seminole tribe, only tribal-owned casinos would be allowed to offer legal online betting in Florida, but with a few pre-established rules. This provided the basis for the lawsuit filed by West Flagler and Bonita-Fort Myers since the rules seemed to contradict the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
Namely, the base of this deal was to ensure that electronic and online bets would be exclusively processed by the tribe. However, mobile apps of their casinos allowed Floridians to play from anywhere in the state as long as the wagers were processed by servers located on tribal lands.
The IGRA only authorizes gambling on tribal lands, so the joint lawsuit was filed primarily on this basis. Still, the challenge was turned down, and the new ruling means that the Seminole tribe will remain the exclusive owner of the right to organize online sports betting in Florida.
The battle continues through state-based legal avenues, but the Federal case has now been dismissed.
Implications of the Ruling
Based on the latest ruling, Seminole-owned Hard Rock Casino and its betting branch remain the only legal online sportsbook in the state. This monopoly isn’t ideal for bettors in The Sunshine State as Hard Rock’s odds aren’t as competitive as other sportsbooks like FanDuel and Caesars.
Hard Rock Casino will also likely stay the sole operator of online bets in Florida for at least a few more years.
Floridians can now keep legally betting from their homes as long as their wagers are processed by the Hard Rock Casino Bet app through servers on tribal lands. Since online wagering isn’t considered illegal by the state’s constitution, amendments on authority to decide where it takes place do not change the initial ruling.
The Seminole tribe has expressed gratitude to the government officials and legislators for keeping the ruling. It’s estimated that the state of Florida has already received $120 million through this deal in 2024.
As a result, all Floridians over the age of 21 can legally wager on their favorite sports teams by joining Hard Rock Casino Bet and creating an account. The Seminole tribe is expected to expand its betting operations in Florida in the aftermath of the new ruling.
