On the final day of the Florida legislative session, Governor Ron DeSantis put in a plug for the new 30-year gaming compact he negotiated with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. “Our budget looks great, but why not get more in the kitty, right?” he said. DeSantis noted the deal will bring in to the state $2.5 billion over the next five years and $6 billion by 2030.
Under the deal, sports betting would be allowed on Seminole properties, including digitally through the Hard Rock Digital app. The tribe also could offer craps and roulette at its casinos and would agree to drop its legal battle against designated player games at non-Seminole venues.
If the compact passes the legislature, it will face the scrutiny of the U.S. Department of Interior. Federal law specifically allows gambling on tribal lands; as a result, observers said the Hard Rock Digital aspect of the deal, which expands availability statewide, may pose a legal hurdle, although the tribe may argue servers would be based on reservation lands.
Another hurdle could be a constitutional amendment passed in 2018 stating any gambling expansion must be approved by voters statewide. “If Amendment 3 wasn’t designed to stop something like this, the biggest expansion of gambling in Florida history, then what did voters mean by it exactly?” said John Sowinski, president of No Casinos, the group behind the amendment, which already is threatening to challenge the compact in court even if it does get ratified. Observers, however, said the amendment may not be an issue since the amendment allows the state to negotiate separate agreements “for the conduct of casino gambling on tribal lands.”
Besides ratification of the compact, the special session will address three gaming bills remaining from the regular session. Two of the measures would establish a gaming commission and a third removes the live racing requirement for parimutuel permit holders.
Meanwhile, the Seminole Tribe has released a 60-second broadcast ad, “The Seminole Story,” designed to boost support for the compact. The tribe released a statement noting, “The Seminole Tribe of Florida has a great story to share with all Floridians. It’s about the tribe’s longtime partnership with the state and how the new gaming compact reinforces the tribe’s steadfast commitment through a $2.5 billion revenue sharing guarantee over the first five years of the agreement. The people of Florida should know the future is secure and bright for their state and for the Seminole tribe.”
