While Florida’s Seminole tribe continues dealing with obstacles to providing on-line sports activities betting within the Sunshine State, the group might be contemplating finally increasing into different types of on-line gaming.
Once the sports activities betting and the state’s gaming compact is settled, the tribe may look at adding online casino gaming as properly. That might imply additional dialogue with state leaders, nonetheless.
“I think that if the case was resolved in our favor, we would then have to reinitiate conversations with the governor’s office, the House and the Senate,” Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen lately informed PlayUSA. “And then that becomes a political process that we would navigate through. Certainly, the polling suggests that the citizens of the state of Florida would like to have it, but you have to go through the process.”
Hurdles Remain
The state’s compact with the Seminoles doesn’t presently permit for on-line gaming past sports activities betting however does embody language that the 2 sides might enter into negotiations relating to the problem. That might happen “within 36 months after the effective date of this Compact to consider an amendment to authorize the Tribe to offer all types of covered games online or via mobile devices to players physically located in the state.”
While different states have lately seen development with regard to on-line poker, Florida has usually not been included as a doable state to legalize. With greater than 22 million individuals, Florida might grow to be the most important legalized on-line poker state within the nation, if the Seminoles embody the sport of their choices.
Clearing the present sports activities betting hurdle is the purpose proper now for the tribe. The Seminoles have been squaring off in court docket for 2 years with Magic City Casino and Bonita Springs Poker Room (referred to as West Flagler Associates).
West Flagler argues that on-line sports activities betting is in violation of a state ban on expanded playing authorized by voters in 2018. The group is combating the trouble in state court docket on that entrance and a transfer towards on-line on line casino gaming might convey comparable opposition.
The plaintiffs are additionally interesting the problem to the Supreme Court on the federal stage, arguing that Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland lacked authority to initially approve the compact as a result of it allowed for gaming off conventional Indian lands by betting on-line anyplace within the state. West Flagler Associated have additionally stated the compact violates the U.S. Constitution’s equal safety clause.
