Florida’s Celebrity Meteorologist Fights to Keep Casino Gambling Records Secret

Former Florida television weatherman Matt Devitt is asking a judge to keep his casino gambling records under wraps in a bitter legal battle with his former employer, WINK News.

Devitt, arguably Southwest Florida’s best-known meteorologist, says the records are private and have little relevance to claims brought by the television station following his dismissal earlier this year.

Devitt built a large online following covering severe weather in southwest Florida, becoming one of the region’s most recognizable television personalities. Devitt was fired January 8 after roughly a decade at WINK and had amassed more than a million Facebook followers.

His departure was a shock to many, including former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

“WINK tv owes all of us an explanation for what happened with Matt Devitt. Thousands of us have come to trust him, like him and rely on him,” Gingrich tweeted. “What happened? WINK owes all of us an answer.”

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According to a lawsuit filed by WINK’s parent company March 30, Fort Myers Broadcasting Co., Devitt violated his employment agreement by operating a competing weather business, Weatherview Inc, while still employed by the station.

WINK alleges Devitt built and monetized the business while employed there and that his social media activities belonged, at least in part, to the station.

Devitt counters that the relevant Facebook page, YouTube channel, and personal weather brand were entirely his own, that WINK celebrated his success for years, and that it is now trying to claim ownership after firing him.

His attorneys argue WINK’s request for his gambling history amounts to an unnecessary intrusion into his private life and seeks “embarrassing information unrelated to any claim or defense,” according to Fort Myers News-Press.

WINK, meanwhile, claims the records could help support its allegations that he frequented casinos during periods when he was supposed to be at work and that his termination followed a broader pattern of misconduct.

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Casinos routinely collect data on customers through player rewards programs, including visit histories, gaming activity and, in some cases, detailed wagering records. This information is generally treated as confidential but can become subject to court-ordered disclosure if deemed relevant to litigation.

The court has yet to determine whether WINK may obtain the records through discovery or whether the request is overly broad and irrelevant to the company’s claims.

The parties are scheduled to participate in mediation before the case heads to trial next year.