The US Supreme Court on Monday announced it would not hear the Florida sports betting case.
As a result, the Seminole Tribe of Florida will maintain its exclusivity on Florida sports betting.
“No surprise,” one legal expert wrote to LSR via text.
The compact that enables sports betting in Florida runs though July 2051.
Seminole Tribe pleased with decision
A spokesperson for the tribe praised the decision from the Supreme Court:
“The Seminole Tribe of Florida applauds today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to decline consideration of the case involving the Tribe’s Gaming Compact with the State of Florida.
“It means members of the Seminole Tribe and all Floridians can count on a bright future made possible by the Compact.”
Background on Florida sports betting
The Supreme Court had conferenced regarding West Flagler Associations v. US Department of the Interior last week before making its decision.
However, the widely held expectation was always that West Flagler’s petition for writ of certiorari would be denied.
A SCOTUS release said: “Justice Kavanaugh would grant the petition for a writ of certiorari. Justice Jackson took no part in the consideration or decision of this petition.
Florida sports betting framework
The Seminoles possess what is basically a monopoly on sports betting in the Sunshine State.
West Flagler attempted to challenge the Gaming Compact between the tribe and Gov. Ron DeSantis.
However, the 30-year compact, which was negotiated in 2021, will remain in place.
The tribe is authorized to offer legal online sports betting via a model where wagers can be placed anywhere in Florida through cellphones and computers via servers on tribal land.
Hard Rock Bet came back in Nov. 2023
The Seminole relaunched online sports betting on Hard Rock Bet in November 2023. In-person sports betting began at six Seminole casinos a month later.
Hard Rock CEO Jim Allen has not ruled out the possibility of a future revenue-sharing agreement that would allow sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings to enter the market.
What Allen said on expanding market
“I don’t think we’ve ever stated that we wouldn’t work with some of the other companies, whether it be Caesars, BetMGM, DraftKings or FanDuel. We’ve always stated that we’d be receptive to that conversation,” Allen told LSR.
“I think it would be premature to figure out the mechanics of that until we know where we end up in the legal process. But there is no limitation on a conversation of skins or whatever it may be. I think it would be one step at a time.
“Certainly in the early days, they were obviously spending significant amounts of money to block any potential move in Florida. I’m not going to say those days are behind us. But I think now there’s a much better relationship from a communication standpoint.”
