Sports Betting Back In Florida For December

The Seminole tribe of Florida is gearing up for a major expansion of its gambling offerings. After a lengthy legal battle, the tribe has announced plans to launch sports betting, roulette, and craps at all six of its casinos across the state in December.

The Seminole tribe’s journey towards expanding its gambling operations has been a turbulent one. However, recent developments have cleared the way for the tribe to launch its new offerings. In April 2021, the tribe reached a new gaming compact with the state of Florida, which was signed off by Governor Ron DeSantis. This compact paved the way for the tribe to introduce sports betting, roulette, and craps at its casinos.

Seminole tribe chairman Marcellus Osceola Jr hailed this as a “historic legal victory.” He expressed gratitude towards the state of Florida, the US Department of the Interior, and the US Department of Justice for defending the tribe’s compact. This victory is a result of the collaboration between the tribe, the state, and the federal government.

Governor DeSantis also welcomed the tribe’s plans, emphasizing the positive impact it will have on the state. He highlighted that the launch of these new offerings will create jobs, increase tourism, and provide billions in added revenue. Governor DeSantis played a crucial role in working with the tribe to establish the historic gaming compact.

The Seminole tribe has set specific launch dates for the introduction of sports betting, roulette, and craps at its various casinos. On December 7, these games will be available at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Seminole Classic Casino in Hollywood, and Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa will follow suit a day later. Finally, on December 11, the remaining two properties, Seminole Casino Immokalee and Seminole Brighton Casino, will go live with the new offerings.

To commemorate this momentous occasion, the tribe has planned a series of events. Further details regarding these celebrations will be announced in due course. The launch of sports betting, roulette, and craps at the Seminole tribe’s casinos will put Florida in the same league as some of the world’s greatest gaming destinations.

The road to launching these new offerings has been a complex one for the Seminole tribe. The initial plans to introduce Hard Rock Bet, an online sports betting platform, were abruptly halted in December 2021 when the District of Columbia ruled that the tribe’s compact violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). West Flagler and Bonita-Fort Myers filed a lawsuit challenging whether offering online sports betting through servers on tribal land constituted betting on tribal land.

However, in June 2023, the DC District Court of Appeals reversed the previous ruling, granting the Seminoles the freedom to proceed with their plans. This sparked a back-and-forth battle between West Flagler and various legal entities. In August, West Flagler sought a rehearing in its case against Debra Haaland, the Secretary of the Interior. The Circuit Court judges rejected West Flagler’s allegations that Haaland violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) by not taking action on the compact approved by Governor DeSantis.

West Flagler intensified its campaign against Florida and Governor DeSantis by filing a challenge in September, asserting that the Governor had exceeded his authority by approving the compact. However, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ultimately denied the rehearing. Undeterred, West Flagler filed a motion to stay, followed by an appeal to the Supreme Court.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) challenged West Flagler’s motion to stay, arguing that it did not meet the conditions required for certiorari. The DC Circuit Court denied the motion, leaving West Flagler with limited options. In a last-ditch effort, West Flagler and Bonita-Fort Myers requested the Supreme Court to block the Seminole tribe from launching Hard Rock Bet. The Supreme Court granted their request for a temporary stay, but the recent ruling by the US Supreme Court effectively cleared the way for the Seminole tribe to proceed.