Florda is requesting a Leon County judge to dismiss a lawsuit that questions the legality of the $2.5 billion historic gaming agreement that permitted the Seminole Tribe to provide online sports betting across the state, The Orlando Sentinel states. 

The compact established in 2021 between the state and the tribe, brokered by Gov. Ron DeSantis and ratified by the legislature, enabled the Seminole Tribe to provide mobile sports betting to players across Florida. 

State officials contend that Seminole operations adhere to the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) since the bets are processed via servers situated on tribal land, which bans off-reservation tribal gaming. 

 

Amendment Supported by Voters 

In a 34-page motion submitted last week, lawyers from Attorney General James Uthmeier’s office requested that the court dismiss the lawsuit, which was initiated in April by Protect the Constitution, LLC. 

The motion contends that the plaintiffs do not have standing to file the case and that the agreement adheres to both state and federal law. 

The plaintiffs claim that the contract breaches a constitutional amendment approved by Florida voters in 2018. That amendment provided voters with the sole power to sanction any new type of casino gambling through a statewide referendum. The state, however, contends that the amendment is inapplicable. 

The state's filing states that the compact is lawful under IGRA, which regulates gaming activities on tribal territories, and is not subject to the 2018 amendment's stipulations.

"Casino gambling or not, sports betting was properly authorized by the compact,” the state wrote in its motion, asserting that the betting activity falls within the legal framework of tribal gaming, as opposed to commercial casino expansion.

The Seminole Tribe briefly initiated its sports betting platform in 2021, but halted operations due to legal issues. The tribe restarted online wagering in late 2023. 

 

Where Does an Internet Wager Occur? 

Protect the Constitution's lawsuit aims to halt the operation, asserting that online bets—regardless of being processed through tribal land—essentially broaden gambling throughout the state without the necessary voter consent. 

The organization, based in Delaware, claims its members face financial difficulties because of the agreement but has not disclosed their identities. 

“Online sports betting occurs throughout the state of Florida,” the lawsuit argues. “But no citizens’ initiative has ever been held to provide authorization.”

The legal action comes after previous attempts by pari-mutuel interests that were dismissed in both state and federal courts. In March, the Florida Supreme Court opted not to review the compact’s constitutionality, deciding that the legal remedy sought — a writ of quo warranto — was unsuitable for those claims.