West Flagler Associates has filed for a Supreme Court extension in its legal fight against sports betting in Florida. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
There is no decision in sight
In the latest development related to the launch of sports betting in Florida, attorneys for West Flagler Associates (WFA) have filed for an extension with the U.S. Supreme Court.
Request for extension until February 9
In an attempt to postpone the Seminole’s Florida monopoly hopes, lawyers for WFA, a Florida-based barmutoil operator, have filed a motion A seven-page letter Request for extension until February 9.
This is the latest step in a case that has been ongoing for nearly three years. The WFA is seeking to overturn a June ruling, which saw a three-court panel of judges rule in the tribe’s favor, agreeing that federal gaming laws allow Florida’s state government to enter into a 30-year agreement with the Seminoles.
This decision overturned a November 2021 ruling that invalidated the charter. At the time, Hard Rock Bet had already been in the state for a few weeks, but had to be shut down immediately.
What happened
In 2021, Governor Ron DeSantis legalized sports betting through a gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. To pave the way for online and retail betting, the Department of the Interior (DOI) gave the green light to the 30-year agreement. In return, the tribe will pay the state at least $2.5 billion during the first five years of the new compact.
All state-sanctioned gambling must take place on tribal lands
However, the matter was short-lived after a federal judge ruled that the agreement violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which stipulates that all state-sanctioned gambling must take place on tribal lands. At the time of the ruling in 2021, Florida officials said all processed sports bets would pass through a server on tribal property. Judge Dabney Friedrich said this was a “fiction”.
In October 2023, the US Supreme Court issued an order preventing the Seminole Tribe of Florida from launching the Hard Rock Bet sports betting platform after the WFA filed a motion for a stay. DOI had until October 18 to respond.
What now?
Following this move from WFA, in late October, DeSantis requested an extension to respond from the state Supreme Court.
The court had ordered DeSantis to respond by Nov. 1, but the governor’s attorney and state leaders requested a 30-day extension to formulate a response. The question is whether DeSantis and the Department of the Interior (DOI) exceeded their authority by validating the agreement.
This issue has been going on for nearly three years, and there appears to be no end in sight as the two sides continue to trade blows. Meanwhile, the bet on Hard Rock is on.
