It was a gallant fight, but the end is drawing near for West Flagler and Bonita Fort Myers, two parimutuels that tried to overturn the compact between the Seminole Tribe and the state of Florida that was approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior and gave the tribe a monopoly on sports betting in the state.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case. So did the Florida Supreme Court.
Three years of legal maneuvering appear to have washed away without so much as a final hearing.
The decision by the two high courts gives a monopoly to the Seminoles for sports betting until 2051. What West Flagler and company challenged was letting people bet from anywhere in the state so long as the electronic process went through a server on Seminole land, according to Sports Betting Journal.
The tribe stands to rake in $1.3 to $1.5 billion a year from their monopoly. And as early as 2026 the Seminoles could launch unfettered iGaming throughout the state. Good for an additional annual take of $2.8 billion, Jordan Bender of Citizens JMP says.
The ramifications of the high court decisions will be felt throughout the country, with Oklahoma, California and Minnesota perhaps seeking to amend compacts in a similar fashion. Bender expects these tribes to seek operator partners similar to Hard Rock to assist in running potential online sports betting operations.
In the name of accuracy, the parimutuels could still find state courts to file suit with.
