ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida will rake in hundreds of millions of dollars in online sports betting over the next decade, thanks to an agreement between the tribe and Gov. Ron DeSantis. Exclusive rights to operate sports betting and casino gambling on the reservation.
However, these online gambling Is it true that sporting events are legally won and lost on tribal land, but in reality there is only a computer server there, accepting bets placed using cell phones and computers from anywhere in Florida?
This is a question that two of the tribal gamers hope the U.S. Supreme Court will take up soon and give a resounding “no” answer.
The nation's highest court's decision is “very important” to the future of online gaming across the United States, as leaving the appellate ruling in favor of the tribes in place would set a precedent for the end of other state gaming bans. It will be. West Flagler Associates and Bonita Fort Myers Corporation, which operate racetracks and poker rooms in Florida, both said the land is tribal land.
The companies sued Deb Haaland, secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees tribal gaming.
The U.S. Supreme Court only accepts a small percentage of such petitions each year.
Two pari-mutuel companies say the agreement the governor and tribe signed in 2021 gives tribes a monopoly on sports gambling and creates a “backdoor” way out of state requirements passed by voters in 2018. It is claimed that. Amendments to the Florida Constitutionsays citizen initiative is needed to expand casino gambling outside of tribal lands.
“Through this maneuver, the Compact clearly seeks to circumvent the Florida Constitution,” attorneys for both firms said. “The point of this agreement is to provide a way around Florida's constitutional obligation to hold a referendum to approve off-reservation sports betting.”
A lot of money is at stake. The tribe launched its online sports betting operation late last year, and Florida's share of 2024 revenue has already exceeded $120 million. State economic forecasters predict that revenue sharing from tribal gaming could total $4.4 billion by the end of this decade.
The pari-mutuel company also sued DeSantis and leaders of the Florida Legislature that approved the agreement in a lawsuit pending in the Florida Supreme Court. Tribes argued that the Legislature has the authority to decide where online gambling can begin, and the amendment would not change that.
“The 2021 Compact is a historic agreement between tribes and nations that resolves long-standing conflicts,” the Seminole Tribe said in a court filing.
The tribe, which currently numbers about 5,000 members, is descended from Native Americans who survived in the Florida Everglades and resisted their removal by the federal government in the 19th century. This sovereign tribe owns the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino business, which operates seven casinos throughout Florida and has locations in 76 countries.
Mr. DeSantis' lawyers and legislative leaders argue that the amendment would not ban sports betting because it is different from casino gambling. They also point out that by allowing customers to bet online from their own assets to the tribe's servers, rivals can participate in the activity and receive a revenue share.
“As an important source of revenue for the Seminole Nation and the state, as well as the tribe’s competitors, the 2021 agreement is in the public interest and has been upheld in federal court,” DeSantis’ lawyers and legislative leaders said. told state judges.
The pari-mutuel company's latest petition to the U.S. Supreme Court was filed on February 8, after an appellate panel reversed a federal district court's decision and reversed the judgment in the pari-mutuel company's favor. Daniel Wallach, a South Florida attorney and sports betting law expert, said if the justices don't accept their opinion, Florida's example could influence other states to allow tribes to expand online gaming. It is possible, the High Court said in its brief.
Jason Molina, a Miami resident, recently started betting on sports after learning about it from a friend. He said he loves it and has bet on everything from Russian slap fights to Korean table tennis matches.
“This is new to my world,” Molina said. “This is just a way to have more fun and get more involved in the game.”
___
Daniel Kozin contributed to this report from Hollywood, Florida.
___
Follow Mike Schneider on X (formerly Twitter): @MikeSchneider.
