Florida Challenge Delayed: Sports Betting Matter Pushed Back
U.S. Supreme Court Allows Another Month Delay
The topic of sports betting in Florida has been pushed back another 30 days. The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed government lawyers until May 13 to file a response to the challenge against Florida’s sports betting laws. It is the second time the government has granted an extension. Why the Florida challenge delayed for another month is due to the number of other cases the attorneys have.
“This extension is necessary because the attorneys with principal responsibility for final preparation of the government’s response have been heavily engaged with the press of other matters before the Court,” the request read. The request also noted the attorneys for the petitioner did not object to the extension.
The petitioner in the case, West Flagler Associates, filed a suit against U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland after she allowed the compact between Florida and the Seminole Tribe to go through. The compact essentially gave full control of sports gambling in the state to the Seminoles. West Flagler won its case in court, but the decision was reversed by an appeals court. That prompted West Flagler to ask for a hearing in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. The government’s response to West Flagler’s petition was originally due March 13 before the first extension. The reason given on why the Florida challenge delayed the first time was the exact same reason given for the most recent delay.
Is Online on Tribal Grounds?
At the heart of the matter is the compact between the State of Florida and the Seminole Tribe. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act states tribes can have gaming activities that occur on tribal grounds. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe claimed online bets made in Florida are deemed to occur on tribal grounds, as that is where the Seminole’s servers are located. The government has ruled against that interpretation in the past, however, it was many years ago.
As it stands, the Seminoles and their Hard Rock Bet app basically have a monopoly on sports betting in the Sunshine State. There are no other sports betting sites allowed to offer wagers. The compact does state that companies can accept wagers going through the Seminole Tribe as a ‘hub-and-spoke’ model, but nobody has attempted that yet. It could be a matter of waiting to see how the Seminoles fare in their latest legal battle.
If the petitioners fail to have their case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court or the Court rules against them, there will likely be additional sportsbooks coming into Florida after partnering with the Seminole Tribe. A favorable Supreme Court decision will mean wagers placed anywhere in the state are considered to be on tribal property as long as that’s where the wager ends. Betting sites are keeping a close eye on the U.S. Supreme Court decision and hope the Florida challenge delayed situation doesn’t pop up again.
The U.S. Supreme Court case is different than the case heard by the Florida Supreme Court. The Florida court ruled the petitioners cannot make their case directly to the Florida Supreme Court. The petitioners may try again depending on the outcome of the federal case.
For gambling news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
