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The battle over sports betting in Florida has escalated to the United States Supreme Court, with two pari-mutuel companies challenging a 2021 agreement that grants the Seminole Tribe exclusive rights over sports betting operations in the state. This legal contest is critical, as it could shape the future of online gaming nationwide, according to the companies involved.
West Flagler Associates and Bonita-Fort Myers Corp. have initiated a Supreme Court review of an appellate court ruling that favored the agreement. This pact promises Florida a minimum of $2.5 billion from the Seminoles over five years, a deal that also faces scrutiny in the Florida Supreme Court.
The appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was made shortly after the Seminole Tribe contributed nearly $58 million to the state, marking the first payment under the revenue-sharing agreement that followed the tribe’s launch of mobile sports betting last November.
The core of the lawsuit is the 2021 compact between the Seminole Tribe and the state, permitting the tribe to oversee sports betting across Florida. This agreement, approved by U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, is now under review. Critics argue that it breaches the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) by allowing gambling beyond tribal lands.
Despite a federal district judge siding with the Seminoles in 2021, a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel reversed this decision, prompting the companies to seek Supreme Court intervention after their request for a full appellate court reconsideration was denied.
Moreover, the companies argue that the compact’s “hub-and-spoke” sports betting framework contradicts a state constitutional amendment that mandates voter consent for gambling expansions. This particular issue is currently under examination by the Florida Supreme Court.