Florida sports betting operations have kicked off with online early access. Without warning, the Seminole Tribe opened its Hard Rock Sportsbook to Florida residents last week.
Despite the excitement of having finally unveiled sports betting options to the public, the Seminole Tribe has remained silent on the matter.
Online Betting Launches, Seminoles Keep Quiet
Many speculate that the Tribe is keeping the launch “under wraps” as a result of the ongoing lawsuits against online sports betting.
Lawyers are actively fighting to preserve the Seminole’s right to online sportsbook operations. On Friday, a federal judge in D.C. heard the case presented by Bonita Springs Poker Room and Magic City Casino.
The Plaintiff claims that the advent of online sports betting violates the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Additionally, the suit claims that a 2018 Amendment was violated.
Amendment 2 stipulates that all gambling expansions in Florida must be ratified via voter referendum.
However, the Seminole Tribe was able to circumvent the voter referendum as all bets would be placed on Tribal lands. But this is the very issue of semantics that the state’s pari-mutuels are attacking on.
Can online betting via servers located on tribal land be considered betting on tribal lands? Do Florida gambling laws support this stance? The Seminole Tribe is banking on the courts to say “yes.”
Federal Hearing Reignites Sports Betting Intensity
Nonetheless, Friday’s hearing proved that lawyers for the U.S. Department of Interior and the Seminole Tribe will have a tough time getting U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich to side with them on the matter.
Lawyers for the Department of Interior were met with harsh criticisms on Friday when they could not take a stance on whether the satellite style of betting constituted betting on Seminole Land.
Upset with the Defendant’s refusal to give direct answers to the Judge’s questions, Friedrich said the following:
“It’s hard not to sit here and think that the government’s whole litigation strategy here is to delay this court from ruling…”
“I find it extremely hard to believe that the government doesn’t even know what its position is. … It seems like you should be able to answer a simple question… Does the federal government interpret online betting as occurring solely on Indian land? Just yes or no, you can’t answer that?”
Earlier this year, it seemed as if these lawsuits wouldn’t go anywhere. After the courts dismissed another lawsuit against the Tribe last month, many assumed that Florida betting was free and clear to launch.
And while it has launched, Friday’s hearing may indicate tipping of the scales. Should the courts rule in favor of the pari-mutuels, online betting may be revoked just as quickly as it was instated.
Florida Bettors Beware
That being said, Florida bettors should play with caution when using the Hard Rock Sportsbook. While we doubt that the app would just shut down out of nowhere, it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility.
Honestly, until the Seminole Tribe makes a formal announcement about its sports betting operations, bettors should hold their horses and stick to offshore sites.
But that’s just our two cents.
Source: Tallahassee Democrat
