Seminole Not Giving up Sports Betting as the Tribe Fights the Government
Just days after U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich called the compact between the Seminoles and the Florida state government illegal and worthy of further revision, experts claim that this will not stop efforts from the state government itself and the tribe from pushing for a full expansion of digital wagering.
According to law experts, the Seminole will not shut down their current operations in the Hard Rock Casino platform, nor will they be expected to do so as the legal process moves forward. Some think that while U.S. District Judge Friedrich´s decision was challenged and therefore appealed, the Seminole will continue with their online wagering service.
It was this past Tuesday that the Seminole tribe and its representatives decided to make an official push back and headed to the U.S. District Court in D.C. to present their appeal. Requests were narrowed to the appeal of Friedrich´s call as well as a confirmation that wagering will remain active throughout the legal process.
From leading the way to opening the state to sports wagering, one thing is clear: Florida seems to be undergoing a perfectly normal political adaptation to a practice that continues to catch much attention nationwide.
From Approval to Rejection in a Matter of Weeks
With US District Judge Friedrich´s claim that the new compact between the state government and the Seminole tribe was in clear violation of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, the lights for state-approved online sports wagering were quickly turned off in a matter of weeks.
The specifics of the compact are to allow the Seminole to accept all wagers coming from within the state. The wagers are then to be processed through servers positioned on Seminole tribe land. Still, some claimed that this was in clear violation of the state-approved IGRA, and Friedrich backed up the claim on Monday.
Friedrich pointed to the inconsistencies that should have been outlined and refuted in the first place. The IGRA is now under the scope and has become the solid, yet conflictive political framework both sides will have to play. Friedrich added that many specifics should also be addressed before leading the way to online wagering throughout the state.
IGRA Terms Need to Be Addressed and Defined
According to experts, the appeal process will not slow down sports betting action. U.S. District Judge Friedrich cited a solid reason why this, and other points, still need to be addressed. The judge pointed to the specifics that need to be revised. Even though Governor Ron DeSantis is a pro-sports-wagering supporter, he agrees with Friedrich.
DeSantis claims that there are undefined points in the compact that were expected to have some degree of legal resistance, as contemplated within the IGRA framework. These legal issues, believes DeSantis, need to be resolved. When they will be is still unclear.
Given the amount of business and tax revenue the compact will generate, experts believe that it’s just a matter of time before this legal conundrum is settled once in for all. Even if the Supreme Court’s intervention is favored in the end, with over $500 million in potential tax revenue to be collected from sports wagering activities each year, the government will find a way to not miss out on this deal.
