November 27, 2021
Just days after a Federal Judge ruled the Seminoles sports betting deal with the state of Florida was “invalid”, the tribe has announced they will file an appeal. Judge Friedrich has concluded that the deal violates the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in that it allowed mobile bets to be accepted from anywhere in the state, not just on Tribal lands. That’s a decision which could have consequences for all online gambling.
Despite this decision, the Seminoles continued to accept sports wagers and filed a “motion for stay pending appeal” alleging that the ruling would irreparably harm the tribe economically by causing the loss of substantial revenue for the Tribe. However, the Judge also rejected that argument.
Even though the Seminoles sports betting bid for a stay was denied, they continue to operate the mobile sports app and accept bets. On Thanksgiving day, they also filed an emergency motion with the Circuit Court of Appeals to have sports betting reinstated.
Of some concern is the fact that the Tribe has not changed the arguments in their legal brief for the second motion, meaning they have not attempted to address the concerns of Judge Friedrich at all.
A decision on whether or not an appellate hearing for the Seminoles sports betting case is granted could come as soon as early to mid-December. And if a hearing is granted, it won’t be scheduled until sometime next year.
