Caution Warranted as Florida Governor Reaches Agreement With Seminole Tribe

Nothing on the gambling front moves in the state of Florida without first going through the Seminole Indian tribe. With that in mind, the notion that sports betting would be coming to Florida residents has seemed like a longshot notion at best over the last couple of years. That was until this week when Gov. Ron DeSantis was able to broker a new 30 year deal with the Seminole Tribe.

As part of the new compact reached between the Governor and the tribe, it would very likely result in legalized sports betting in Florida. The question is when, and therein lies the problem.

While DeSantis and Seminole Tribe Chairman Marcellus Osceola have come to terms, it's not binding on a state legislature that has yet to approve the deal. With DeSantis up for reelection in the next election cycle, it's not likely that House and Senate Democrats are going to make it easy to get this agreement approved. After all, why would political opponents want to give the Governor a major victory this close to an election?

Yes, we now live in a time and place where everything has political overtones. The House and Senate Democrats are far more concerned about winning elections than they are about letting Florida residents bet on sports. Making the matter even more intriguing is the estimated $6 billion in gambling tax revenue that experts say is on the table over the next 8 or 9 years. Yes, politics first, the people second.

According to gaming law expert Daniel Wallach (in an interview with the Florida-based radio show Miller and Moulton), there is a big legal battle on the horizon if the Governor DeSantis agreement gives the Seminoles exclusive rights to providing sports betting in Florida. He stated,

“You create a compact that crafts out a monopoly for the tribe, it’s going to end up in court, it’s going to end up in litigation.“

He went on to say that the agreement as he sees it is fundamentally and legally flawed, which will likely lead to it will be struck down as it sits now. In the end, this agreement could actually end up leaving the state of Florida in a position where they will be fighting legal battles over the next couple of years instead of crafting sports betting legislation. It has not been lost on the business community just how lucrative sports betting would be to any sports or gambling-associated businesses.

Caution is warranted by residents who might think this agreement has really moved the proverbial ball any closer to the proverbial goal line of legalized sports betting. The reality is only one box has been checked in the process with many more boxes needing to be checked.

As more the half the states bask in the gambling tax revenues that are coming in from sports bettors and bookmakers, it might end up being Florida voters who decide the fate of sports betting in Florida. This is sure to be a major political topic heading into the 2022 election.