Magic City and Bonita Springs sue federal government to block sports betting in Florida
Florida betting operators have filed a new motion in federal district court.
United States.- Florida gambling dispute is on and it adds another chapter as Magic City Casino and Bonita Springs Poker Room have filed a new motion in federal district court hoping to to block online sports betting in the state.
Both betting operators made the move against US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, asking the court to omit the sports betting section of the state’s compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
In the lawsuit, they alleged revised compact gives the tribe a monopoly over sports betting in Florida, by allowing wagers to through an internet server on tribal land. They are saying that, although the Department of the Interior allowed the compact to take effect, the court should reverse that decision, blocking implementation until a legal sports-betting compact is established for the state.
The legal battle started after Governor Ron DeSantis negotiated a “gambling compact” with tribal leaders which was passed by lawmakers in May. This lead Magic City and Bonita Springs to file a federal lawsuit in July challenging the deal’s legitimacy.
The agreement stated that anyone in Florida over the age of 21 will be able to place and collect online wagers on sporting events “via the internet [or] web application” from anywhere in Florida from October 15. But, all transactions would pass through servers located on tribal land.
That is why two operators argue, they allege it illegally violates the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which requires that any state-sanctioned gambling occur on tribal land.
The launch of online sports betting in the state is delayed, because the federal District Court for the District of Columbia will have the final say on court. The hearing will be November 5.
