A day after a Florida judge ruled that the Seminole Tribe’s sports betting and casino expansion deal had breached federal Indian gambling laws, the tribe continues to collect wagers on its sports betting app.
Seminole Tribe Ignores Online Sports Betting Ban and Launches Appeal originally approved by both chambers was unlawful.However, lawyers acting on behalf of the tribe took immediate action by filing a notice of appeal and a motion for stay pending appeal urging the judge to put a temporary halt on the ruling. The tribe has now requested that the Judge also let them know within the next 24 hours whether or not she will allow the stay while its legal team prepares an appeal.
In a statement filed with the appeal late on Tuesday, Marcellus W. Osceola, chairman of the tribe said:
“The tribe’s online sports betting authorized by the compact is now in operation, and is generating millions in revenue per week. The tribe is using these funds to pay back the development costs for its online sports book, make revenue-sharing payments to the state and fund important tribal programs.”
The documents filed with the court state that the ruling will cause ‘irreparable harm’ to the tribe’s economic interests and as a result the local economy and jobs market.
Seminole Tribe Ignores Online Sports Betting Ban and Launches AppealOsceola’s statement also noted that the tribe has already paid the state $75 million as a result of revenue-sharing agreements under the new compact. He also states that the tribe has spent over $25 million developing the online sportsbook and hiring 237 additional employees and vendors.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a press conference on Tuesday that while he was aware of the ruling and the tribe’s desire to appeal, he had yet to read the details of the judge’s decision.
However he did say:
Seminole Tribe Ignores Online Sports Betting Ban and Launches Appeal“We structured the compact so that the compact is preserved for the casinos and the other stuff. So we’re going to still be getting revenue, obviously we’ll get less revenue from sports betting if they’re not able to do hub and spoke.”
Image credit: Valerie / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Olivia has worked as an editor and writer for major brands across multiple niches. She now focuses on the iGaming and sports betting industries.