Florida lawmakers have signed off on a gambling agreement between the state and the Seminole tribe. Next, the deal must get approval from the federal government. House Speaker Chris Sprowls says he also expects to see lawsuits surrounding the deal—especially a piece that lets the tribe fun sports betting in the state.
“If it is litigated, let’s assume that the federal court says that’s not a valid way to do it," Sprowls says. "So that part is now severed from the compact Floridians get the benefit of the bargain under the compact and just lose the $50-million for sports betting.”
Sprowls says it still comes out as a good deal for Floridians.
The group No Casinos has already indicated plans to file a lawsuit to fight the agreement. The group says the deal violates an amendment Florida voters passed in 2018 that requires voter approval for gambling expansion. The amendment doesn’t apply to gambling that happens on tribe land.
That leaves sports betting in a gray area. The plan is to use what officials are calling a "hub and spoke" system. Servers used for sports betting will be located on tribe property, but participants could be anywhere.
