Florida reaches new gambling agreement with Seminole Tribe

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reached an agreement with the Seminole Tribe on Friday that would greatly expand gambling in the state, including the introduction of legalized sports wagering.

Sports betting, craps and roulette haven’t been a part of Florida casinos until now. This means online and in-person sports betting.

Governor DeSantis met with the chairman of the Seminole Tribe on Friday to sign the piece of paper that would finally bring sports betting to Florida.

Marcellus Osceola Jr. is the Chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. “This is the best deal for everybody. It’s not in favor of the tribe or the state. It’s in favor of both parties,” Osceola said.

I’m excited to announce the signing of a new compact between the State of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which will generate the state $2.5 billion in new revenue over the next five years and $6 billion through 2030. https://t.co/6za6I0TmFz pic.twitter.com/uLV1YmsRkl

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) April 23, 2021

The tribe would be allowed to offer sports gambling at its casinos in South Florida and near Tampa and will be allowed to license horse tracks, jai-alai frontons and former dog tracks to accept such wagers on its behalf for a share of the income, according to a memo by state Senate President Wilton Simpson to his members.

The tribe will also be allowed to introduce craps and roulette at its casinos, including the popular Hard Rock Casino near Fort Lauderdale.

The 30-year contract, known as a compact, between the state and tribe must still be considered by the Legislature at a special session that will begin May 17, according to the memo.

The deal could generate about $2.5 billion in revenue over the next five years and $6 billion by 2030.

Sports betting Attorney Daniel Wallach says while this may sound great, don’t get too excited just yet.

“I think the legal risk for the state of Florida is exceptionally high. And there will undoubtedly be litigation over this with a relatively high likelihood that this sports betting framework will be overturned by a federal court,” Wallach said.

Wallach believes online sports betting is at serious risk, even though the tribe would take bets on servers located on tribal lands.  There’s also Amendment 3 that they would have to worry about. Passed in 2018, Amendment 3 states that any expansion of casino gambling must be approved by voters.

Governor Ron DeSantis said, “If somebody wants to try to contest that, both the tribe and the state will be vigorously defending the agreement that we have made here today.”

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