The U.S. Supreme Court set a March 13 deadline for the Department of the Interior (DOI) to respond to the lawsuit filed by West Flagler and Associates (WFA). The parimutuel clings to two lawsuits in an attempt to cancel the compact between the state of Florida and the Seminole tribe. The 2021 compact gave the Seminoles exclusivity when it comes to sports betting.
WFA isn’t happy about that decision or what it means for their financial future, according to SportsHandle.
But the deadline… DOI wants a month extension. U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar filed a one-page memo complaining that the “heavy press of earlier assigned cases to the attorneys handling this matter” makes it difficult to meet the deadline.
The suit in federal court argues DOI Secretary Deb Haaland agreed to the compact with Florida after accepting the premise that bettors can place wagers anywhere in the state even if not on tribal lands, which WFA claims is a violation of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The DOI accepted the premise because the servers ran through tribal lands.
WFA got a favorable ruling in District court but lost on appeals. The suit filed a writ of certiorari before the Supreme Court which explains all this.
WFA is also suing Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature in the state Supreme Court, accusing all of them of breaking the law when they said yes to the compact without taking the issue before voters as required by Amendment 3.
Under terms of the compact, the Seminoles have the exclusive rights to run in-person sportsbooks and online sports betting. They can also add games like roulette and craps to their retail offerings at multiple casinos in their inventory.
