TAMPA, Fla. — On Monday, a federal judge threw out the game compact between the State of Florida and the Seminole Tribe on the grounds that it violates the Indian Gaming Regulation Act (IGRA) by allowing people to bet when they’re not physically on Indian Lands.
The compact, by allowing people to use an electronic device to place a bet when they’re within the state but not on Indian Lands “grants the Tribe a monopoly over both all online betting and all wagers on major sporting events,” the opinion by Judge Dabney Friedrich said.
Read the full opinion here or below.
Sports Betting Opinion by ABC Action News on Scribd
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
On November 1, sports betting went live in the state with the Hard Rock Sportsbook. At last check, following the judge’s decision, the app was still working.
On August 16, West Flagler Associates and Bonita-Fort Myers Corporation both filed lawsuits against the approval of the company by Deb Halland, Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Both groups own two brick-and-mortar casinos in Florida.
On September 27, a separate challenge of the approval was filed by Monterra MF and its co-plaintiffs. According to the judge’s opinion, all but one of the co-plaintiffs live, work, or own property near Florida casinos. The other co-plaintiff is No Casinos, a nonprofit organization that opposes the expansion of gambling in Florida.
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