West Flagler files latest response in ongoing Florida sports betting battle
Supreme Court to decide on whether to hear challenge against the Seminole Tribe’s monopoly of Florida via Hard Rock Digital brand
West Flagler has filed its reply to the US Supreme Court, arguing once again the Seminole Tribe’s Florida gaming compact violates the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).
Last week, the Department of the Interior backed the Seminole Tribe’s monopolyand asked the court to deny any rival writ of certiorari.
In the latest development of West Flagler’s ongoing challenge of the legality of the Seminole Tribe’s monopoly of sports betting in Florida, attorneys on Tuesday filed another response.
The reply centers on the Department of the Interior filing last week, despite the government body expressly backing the Seminoles. The new West Flagler brief suggests the Department of the Interior could have implied the compact is invalid.
The reply brief of petitioners read: “The centerpiece of the government’s IGRA argument is that the Court of Appeals correctly interpreted the compact as not authorizing any sports gaming off Indian lands and therefore the approval of the compact did not violate IGRA.
“By contrast, the government effectively concedes that if the compact authorized gaming off Indian lands, then its approval would have violated IGRA and the Court of Appeals’ decision would have conflicted with decisions of this court and other circuits, necessitating review and reversal by this court.
“Thus, the central IGRA question boils down to whether the Court of Appeals properly held that it could ‘interpret’ the compact as not authorizing sports gaming off Indian lands.
“If it did, then no review is warranted. If it did not, then even the government implicitly concedes that review and reversal are needed.”
With this response filed, the next stage will see the Supreme Court decide whether to move forward with the case.
The compact was approved by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2021, allowing the Seminoles a monopoly in the Sunshine State.
This saw the tribe relaunch online and land-based sports betting last year through its Hard Rock Digital brand.