Following the recent news of the Seminole Tribe of Florida trying to pass the sports betting bill in the state, it has now been announced that the US Supreme Court has temporarily halted the deal.
Despite sports betting being illegal according to Florida State law, there was a $2.5bn deal between Governor – and Republican Presidential Candidate – Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida to permit sports betting in the state. The deal was executed under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, a law that regulates gaming on native lands.
The deal has been halted due to Florida gaming businesses claiming that will give Tribes a monopoly over online gaming in the state, due to people gaming on non-tribal land still having to bet via the Tribes. Therefore, the gaming businesses filed emergency applications to block the ruling.
Within the original deal, DeSantis agreed in 2021 to allow the tribe to offer online sports betting in the state if the bets were received by servers on their land.
However, according to the other gaming businesses, more specifically casino owners, this exception has created a monopoly for the Tribe, allowing only them to offer sports gaming in the state of Florida.
Chief Justice John Roberts agreed to put the deal on hold while the case works its way through the courts.
Roberts requested a response from the state and Tribes due October 18.
US Circuit Judge Robert Wilkins wrote in the court's opinion, “The district court erred by reading into the compact a legal effect it does not (and cannot) have, namely, independently authorizing betting by patrons located outside of the Tribe’s lands.
“Rather, the compact itself authorizes only the betting that occurs on the Tribe’s lands; in this respect, it satisfied the IGRA.”
