Florida Sports Betting Case is Dismissed
The new Florida gaming compact includes legal sports betting for the Seminole Tribe, and that decision has created quite a stir in the state. Almost immediately after that compact was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis, lawsuits were filed throughout the state.
Even though the gaming compact was approved by the US Department of Interior, lawsuits were still filed and made their way all the way to the Federal level. At the end of October, one of the lawsuits was dismissed completely though as the Federal District Judge agreed with the state department and Governor DeSantis.
Secretary Julie Brown was explicitly mentioned in this particular lawsuit as it claims that she did not do enough to stop the compact from getting signed. This was the one major hurdle that was delaying the launch of mobile sports betting even though the industry was legal as far as the state and the Seminole Tribe were concerned.
It was pari-mutuels in the state that were initiating this lawsuit, and that was the biggest reason that the case was dismissed. Federal Judge Allen Winsor determined that this lawsuit had no legal basis, but was rather just a formal complaint from the companies.
The decision from Judge Winsor does not mean that sports betting in Florida will never be challenged again, but he shot down the idea that the US Department of Interior or the state of Florida was at any fault. This was a major win for the Seminole Tribe and the state of Florida, especially those residents that are wanting to wager on sports.
Other Lawsuits Remain
The legal sports betting operation in Florida is still not fully in the clear though as there is another lawsuit that is on the table. That case is set to be reviewed on November 5, and a final decision should be made at that time, or shortly after.
The biggest opponents of the new gaming compact argue that a new gaming compact should not have been signed without approval from the voters. Other sports betting companies are also hoping to challenge the compact in an effort to break into the state.
There is a clause in the gaming compact that requires the Seminole Tribe to issue online skins to other companies, but it’s unclear how soon that will occur. The status of Florida sports betting is unlike anything else that can be found in the US at this time.
Hard Rock Sportsbook is Live
The Seminole Tribe surprised everyone in the state on Monday as it announced that the Hard Rock Sportsbook was open for business. There was no buildup or hype leading up to this event, but a simple announcement that customers could begin creating new accounts was made.
The Hard Rock Sportsbook had previously been available in both New Jersey and Iowa, but it is now live in Florida as well. The launch of the Hard Rock makes Florida the most populous state in the US with legal online sports betting.
The Seminole Tribe will also be offering betting at its casino properties along with the mobile app.
