Two Companies Abandon Their Seminole Tribe Lawsuit
Online sports betting in Florida may become more simple in the near future. A lawsuit has been set aside between two companies that previously claimed a deal erroneously awarded the Seminole Tribe of Florida exclusivity for gambling online in this state.
Lawsuit against Seminole Tribe of Florida is settled.
A lawsuit that threatened the status of an agreement that gives the Seminole Tribe of Florida exclusivity has been settled between that tribal nation and two competing gaming companies.
West Flagler Associates and Bonita-Fort Myers Corporation have agreed to halt their lawsuit against the Seminole Tribe of Florida. It called into question the legality of that group to have exclusive rights to offer sports betting odds in Florida.
Flagler and Bonita-Fort Myers both argued that it was unconstitutional only to permit the Seminole Tribe to perform online sports betting in the state. In 2021, Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed a compact with the powerful Seminole Tribe that allowed that group to offer sports wagering odds.
The agreement between the DeSantis administration and the Seminoles has been challenged numerous times unsuccessfully. In June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the issue. Given that development, the lawsuits from West Flagler Assoc and Bonita-Fort Myers were in jeopardy.
The deal between the parties now means that odds on the sport of Jai Alai , which both of the former plaintiffs are involved with, will be offered via Seminole sports betting sites and apps. So far, the Seminole Tribe of Florida has successfully offered sports betting odds to some bettors in the state.
Opponents have argued that the agreement drawn up by DeSantis violates the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which they say, only allows tribal nations to offer gaming on their own lands.
Sports betting apps can cross tribal borders. The Seminole Tribe has argued that because the servers that host its mobile application and web-based sportsbook are located on tribal lands, it adheres to federal laws.
Still, the lawsuit threatened to clog the machinery of sports betting revenue possible for the parties involved.
“Rather than engaging in years of additional litigation, this agreement will allow the parties to work together to promote Jai Alai, which has played an important role in Florida’s gaming landscape for nearly 100 years”, said Jim Allen, the Chief Executive Officer of Seminole Gaming.
Commercial Sports Betting in Florida Still Has to Wait
With the Seminole Tribe holding an exclusive license to offer online sports betting in FL, commercial sportsbooks have been unable to penetrate the state market in Florida. That means BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel, and other platforms are not available to sports fans in Florida who want to place wagers on their favorite teams and players.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida offers its betting odds via the Hard Rock Bet app, but it does not offer as many sporting events as competing sportsbooks in other states.
As the third-most populous state in the country, and the fourth-largest economy at $1.3 trillion annually, Florida is an attractive market for sports betting companies. But, until the situation with the Seminole Tribe is resolved, citizens here will not have access to competitive sports betting apps.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida owns and operates several gaming facilities in Florida and elsewhere. In 2007, the tribe purchased Hard Rock Cafe, which includes a pair of Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos.
