Let us return to the tumultuous saga of the mighty Seminole Tribe of Florida and their battle with the tiny, but apparently deep pockets of West Flagler and Associates, a pari-mutuel. The last time we looked in on this conflict, the courts denied West Flagler a review from the entire judiciary of the D.C. Court of Appeals.
But those of us who follow the machinations know that decision was not the be-all to end-all that would allow the Seminoles to roll out Hard Rock Bet throughout the Sunshine State. On September 15, West Flagler filed a motion to stay mandate, which started a 10-day clock for the Department of the Interior (DOI) to respond.
We suppose they can answer in a single day, but let’s assume the department takes a full 10 days until September 25. West Flagler has seven days to respond to the DOI’s response. Now we are up to October 2.
The next step falls again to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which has to rule on the motion. If the court approves the stay motion, the stay could last 90 days. Or until West Flagler files a writ of certiorari at the Supreme Court.
If tradition is any measuring stick, the Supreme Court could take months, if not years, to accept a case, hear said case, and rule on said case.
At the heart of these maneuvers is West Flagler’s belief that DOI SecretaryDeb Haaland erred in her approval of the compact between Florida and the Seminoles, the one that gave the tribe a monopoly in sports betting in Florida.
If everything froze today with no more appeals to anyone, the Seminoles would have control of the largest legal sports betting state by population in the country, according to Sports Handle.
West Flagler attorneys on September 15 called the June 30 ruling which supported the compact “unprecedented” and an “extreme shift in public policy on legalizing gaming.” And “the Tribe shortly will effect a major expansion of gaming in Florida by releasing a mobile phone application that will permit online sports betting throughout the state.”
