Florida Moves to Dismiss Seminole Sports Betting Lawsuit

• Florida defends legality of Seminole sports betting compact
• Lawsuit claims online bets bypass voter-approved gambling laws
• State cites tribal land servers to justify legality

Florda is asking a Leon County judge to toss a lawsuit that challenges the legality of the $2.5 billion landmark gaming compact that allowed the Seminole Tribe to offer online sports betting statewide, The Orlando Sentinel reports.

The 2021 compact between the state and the tribe, negotiated by Gov. Ron DeSantis and approved by the legislature, opened the door for the Seminole Tribe to operate mobile sports wagering to gamblers throughout Florida.

Because the bets are processed through servers located on tribal land, state officials argue Seminole operations comply with the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), which prohibits off-reservation tribal gaming.

Voter-Backed Amendment

In a 34-page motion filed last week, attorneys from Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office urged the court to dismiss the lawsuit, filed in April by Protect the Constitution, LLC.

The motion argues that the plaintiffs lack standing to bring the case and that the compact complies with both state and federal law.

The plaintiffs argue the agreement violates a constitutional amendment passed by Florida voters in 2018. That amendment granted voters the exclusive authority to approve any new form of casino gambling via a statewide referendum. However, the state argues the amendment does not apply.

According to the state’s filing, the compact is legal under IGRA, which governs gaming operations on tribal lands, and is exempt from the 2018 amendment’s requirements.

Casino gambling or not, sports betting was properly authorized by the compact,” the state wrote in its motion, asserting that the betting activity falls within the legal framework of tribal gaming, as opposed to commercial casino expansion.

The Seminole Tribe briefly launched its sports betting platform in 2021, but suspended operations after legal challenges. The tribe resumed online betting in late 2023.

Where Does an Online Bet Take Place?

Protect the Constitution’s lawsuit seeks to block the operation, claiming that online wagers – even if routed through tribal land – effectively expand gambling statewide without the required voter approval.

“Online sports betting occurs throughout the state of Florida,” the lawsuit argues. “But no citizens’ initiative has ever been held to provide authorization.”

The legal effort follows earlier challenges by pari-mutuel interests that were rejected in state and federal courts. In March, the Florida Supreme Court declined to consider the compact’s constitutionality, ruling that the type of legal relief requested — a writ of quo warranto — was not appropriate for such claims.