This week’s gambling news finds Florida gambling in the headlines again, and now the battle for expanded casino gambling and sports betting is getting downright ugly! The fight between the Sands Corporation and the Seminole Tribe is wrapped up in lawsuits, legal actions, and accusations of conspiracy, sabotage, and corruption!
Welcome to This Week in Gambling, where some news weeks are slow… some news weeks are busy… and some news weeks are batshit crazy! Which leads us to Florida and this week’s big story! As you may know, Florida is America’s third largest state by population. Therefore, whatever happens with gambling down there could affect gambling all across the country. And now, with the Sands Corporation set to take on the Seminole Tribe, things are rapidly deteriorating from anything resembling a legal proceeding, into more something akin to a Florida gambling street fight!
Originally, the Seminole Tribe had an agreement for Florida sports betting that would have given them a monopoly in the state, but that led to legal challenges and lawsuits and petitions from the likes of the Sands Corporation and DraftKings and FanDuel. So, in order to get Florida gambling expansion approved (and thus have sports betting there), there must be a state constitutional amendment. And in order to get a state constitutional amendment, voters have to approve the measure. And in order for voters to approve the measure, it has to be on a ballot. And in order to be on a ballot, they have to get enough signatures on a petition. Which leads us to today, and where everything just goes to hell.
The Sands Corporation is accusing the Seminoles of illegally trying to sabotage their petition drive by paying people to stop gathering signatures! The Seminoles say that the signatures gathered so far have been obtained illegally because the people out collecting them are being paid by the signature, which is a violation of state law! The Sands says that the Seminole have been out trying to intimidate and harass the people gathering signatures! The Seminoles say that those running the petition drive are involved in widespread election law conspiracy! The Sands says that the Seminoles are “A bunch of big poopy-heads!”. The Seminoles say, “Well we’re rubber and you’re glue!”, instead of the more legally appropriate, “I know you are but what am I?”
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Why not just let them settle this on the Jerry Springer show? That way we could at least see some chairs getting thrown! But hey, we really shouldn’t be surprised things have gone this way. With so much money from Florida gambling on the line, the possibility of legal precedent being set, and with heavy hitters like the Sands Corporation and the Seminole Tribe, things were just bound to get ugly. I wonder if anyone out there is taking bets on who’s going to win this fight?
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