The ever-changing sports betting battle in Florida took another turn this week. After announcing the return of retail sports betting to the tribe’s casinos in December, the Seminoles revealed this week that mobile betting will also return.
The move quickly prompted pushback from the case’s longtime plaintiffs, Magic City Casino and Bonita Springs Poker Room, known as West Flagler Associates in legal filings, as they asked the state Supreme Court to suspend operations until the court ruled on whether the tribe’s cellphone or not. The wager violates a state law prohibiting the expansion of gaming in the state.
“This launch was not announced in advance and came as a surprise,” prosecutors noted in court documents. “The prevailing understanding was that references to sports betting were personal sports betting.
“Exploiting the distraction created by their carefully crafted announcement on November 1, the tribe sought to surprise petitioners and this court by filing a ‘fait accompli’ on November 7.”
Latest Seminole Betting Plans
According to media reports, mobile betting has resumed starting Tuesday for players who already had accounts when the platform was briefly operational two years ago. However, the platform will not be completely open to all players yet.
“The Seminole Tribe is offering limited access to existing Florida customers to test its Hard Rock Bet platform,” company spokesman Gary Bittner said.
Hard Rock Bet also offers a waiting list for punters seeking early access through the company’s loyalty program. However, West Flagler’s move is intended to limit those plans if the court allows an injunction.
More legal maneuvers possible
The state Supreme Court has not yet announced a decision in West Flagler’s attempt to invalidate the expansion of mobile betting as part of the state’s agreement with the Seminoles. Gaming expert and lawyer Daniel Wallach He thinks the tribe has a good chance of winning.
“I believe Gov. DeSantis will prevail in the case against him because he appointed five of the seven Florida Supreme Court justices, and they have never ruled against him with a similar type of motion,” Wallach said. fox-13.
However, despite recently agreeing to review the case at the federal level, Wallach believes the Supreme Court may decide to review issues related to the equal protection aspects of the case. Plaintiffs argued that the state’s agreement with the Seminoles violates that part of the Constitution by giving “an Indian tribe a statewide monopoly on online sports gaming, while at the same time making such conduct a felony if undertaken by any person of a different race, ancestry, or ethnicity.” . or national origin.”
Justice Brett Kavanaugh expressed some agreement with that argument and Wallach believes the court could take a look once the state’s cases are over.
“The real action will be in the U.S. Supreme Court,” Wallach said. “But the next decision will be from the Florida Supreme Court. Look at it in increments. Sports betting is likely here to stay between now and Thanksgiving. And then it really depends on how the different courts rule.
