The twists and turns within the Florida sports activities betting market continued final week, now with the Supreme Court weighing in. Chief Justice John Robers accredited a keep on Seminole sports activities betting on Thursday, quickly blocking the tribe from providing on-line wagering.
A federal appeals courtroom not too long ago upheld the Seminoles’ 2021 up to date compact with the state that granted the tribe the proper to supply on-line sports activities betting within the state. The settlement would permit wagering exterior the tribe’s conventional lands.
However, plaintiffs in that case, the Magic City Casino and Bonita Springs Poker Room, have appealed to the best courtroom and justices could now be contemplating whether or not to listen to the case.
Florida Sports Betting Hurdles Continue
Gaming specialists imagine the courtroom could also be contemplating clearing up a discrepancy in rulings on the federal ranges, and whether or not wagering off tribal lands is allowed underneath the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA)
“If SCOTUS grants the requested stay or writ of certiorari, it will be because of the IGRA issue and the conflict among the lower federal courts as to whether IGRA applies to off-reservation tribal gaming activities,” gaming professional and lawyer Daniel Wallach noted on Twitter.
Plaintiffs argue that varied courts at occasions have dominated that tribes aren’t allowed to supply on-line gaming exterior of their conventional lands.
“The question of IGRA’s applicability to off-reservation tribal gaming (including online sports betting) has been a hotly debated topic in recent years, as tribes seek to benefit from the repeal of the federal ban on state-authorized sports betting in an increasingly digital gaming environment while, at the same time, being subjected to a federal law that authorizes only land-based gambling,” the plaintiffs argue in courtroom paperwork.
“Previous interpretations of IRGA – by courts, federal agencies, and even the State of Florida – had made resoundingly clear that IGRA does not apply to gaming activity that occurs off Indian lands.”
Beyond this, the Seminoles additionally face challenges in state courtroom as properly. The plaintiffs argue that the sports activities betting settlement doesn’t comport with present regulation after voters accredited a 2018 constitutional modification barring extra gaming growth.
Attorneys for Magic City and Bonita Springs filed a “writ of quo warranto” with the state Supreme Court arguing that the state’s compact replace with the Seminoles must be dominated invalid.
