Appeals Court Approves Seminole Gambling Deal

A federal appeals court overturned a ruling that blocked the Seminole gambling deal with Florida state. According to the top sportsbook pay per head, it could lead to the approval of online gambling in the state.

The panel of judges from the US Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the decision from a federal judge that stopped the deal. The Seminole Tribe of Florida and Governor Ron DeSantis signed the new compact. Also, it has the approval of the Legislature.

Owners of Bonita Springs Poker Room and Magic City Casino filed a lawsuit claiming that the new gambling compact violated federal laws. In addition, they claimed that the deal could have a devastating impact on the pari-mutuel industry in the state.

Future of Seminole Gambling Deal

According to a political news forum, the “hub-and-spoke” sports betting arrangement was created to process bets from anywhere in the state through tribally owned servers. Gambling “using a mobile app or other electronic devices, must be regarded solely conducted by the tribe,” according to the treaty.

Judge Dabney Friedrich of the United States District Court concluded that the proposal violated the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which governs gaming on tribal territories since it would enable gambling on land that did not belong to the Seminoles.

Friedrich deemed the entire arrangement a “fabrication,” thereby nullifying other provisions of the compact and concluding that US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland was incorrect in allowing the agreement to go into force in the summer of 2021. The Department of the Interior regulates tribal gambling.

A federal judge in Washington, DC, had previously ruled that the agreement violated IGRA because it enabled gaming “both on and off” Indian territory. However, a verdict issued on Friday sided with the Department of Justice.

Despite the significant win for the Seminoles and the state in the appeal panel’s order on Friday, the majority also clarified that state courts would still have to decide whether the agreement violates a Florida constitutional amendment. A representative for DeSantis described the ruling as “excellent news” for Florida. However, the only way how to be a bookie in the state is to relate with the tribe.