Last updated: March 12, 2024
A dispute arises in Florida over the legality of online sports betting on tribal land, with rival firms contesting a compact between Governor Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe. The case, now before the US Supreme Court, raises questions about state regulations and revenue sharing, with potential implications for national gaming policies.
A legal fight in Florida between Governor Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe over online sports betting on tribal land has gone to the Supreme Court, impacting state regulations and national gaming policies.
However, these efforts have raised doubts about the legality of certain issues, including computers and mobile phones located on tribal land, where businesses are likely to suffer.
Significantly, the Seminole Tribe has exclusive rights to operate casinos and sports betting on the reservation, thanks to an agreement between Gov. For Ron DeSantis and the tribe.
However, rival firms West Flagler Associates and Bonita-Fort Myers Corp. are not competing. Operators of Florida racetracks and poker rooms have argued that the agreement circumvents state law prohibiting gaming on tribal territory.
Now that the story has reached the U.S. Supreme Court, the rival companies are seeking a ruling nullifying the agreement. They argue that maintaining the agreement would set a simple precedent that would avoid state laws on gambling expansion.
A great deal of money is at stake. In 2024 alone, the Seminole Tribe’s online sports betting business generated more than $120 million for Florida. Economists say that by the end of the decade, tribal sports revenue could reach $4.4 billion.
Opponents say the deal undermines the integrity of Florida’s constitutional restrictions on gambling expansion, though the Seminole Tribe says it’s a historic deal that ends the longstanding dispute.
The larger ramifications of the case are evident in the legal debate. Florida’s model could encourage other states to enter into agreements with tribes similar to those of the US. The Supreme Court decided not to intervene, which could change the landscape of online gaming nationwide.
Gaming America reported that legal experts, including Robert Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, suggested that West Flagler’s legal challenge appeared to be an uphill battle in which Jarvis went so far as to waste time and valuables on the subject.
Marilyn Chavez is an associate researcher at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, where she studied the mathematical probabilities and aspects of casino games like slot machines. She’s written several case studies which have been published by multiple problem-gaming institutions to help spread awareness about the dangers of online gambling and gambling addiction. She also presented a 2019 Ted talk on the topic of gambling among minors.
