Gov. Ron DeSantis Seeks Extension in Florida Sports activities Betting Problem

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is asking the Florida Supreme Courtroom for extra time to answer in a case looking for to overturn the sports activities betting monopoly granted to the Seminole Tribe.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks in New Hampshire on June 1, 2023. DeSantis is asking the state’s highest courtroom for extra time to defend his choice to provide the Seminole Tribe unique entry to sports activities betting in Florida.

In a motion filed Thursday, attorneys for the governor and state legislative leaders say they want till December 1 to craft a response to the playing corporations who initiated the continuing. Led by pari-mutuel operator West Flagler Associates, the businesses are asking the Florida Supreme Courtroom to invalidate the tribal gaming compact signed by the governor in 2021. The compact permits the tribe to function sportsbooks at its casinos and take cell sports activities bets from anybody within the state, as long as the pc servers accepting the wagers are on tribal land.

The request from the governor comes three days after a neighborhood anti-gambling group, No Casinos Inc., filed its personal transient in help of the West Flagler petition. DeSantis’ attorneys level out that No Casinos obtained a 10-day extension to file its amicus transient and that the courtroom beforehand stated that the federal government could search an extension as effectively.

Full Schedule

“As a result of press of different issues, counsel does certainly require extra time to finish the response on this case and for shopper assessment,” reads the submission from the Florida Legal professional Common’s workplace.

The transient lists 16 pending circumstances in state and federal courtroom the place filings from the state are due inside the subsequent two weeks.

Provided that the challenged compact initially went into impact in 2021, and West Flagler solely introduced its case to state courtroom final month, a further delay mustn’t hamper the proceedings, the state’s attorneys argued. West Flagler solely agreed to a seven-day extension, in accordance with the movement.

The courtroom will determine within the coming days whether or not to grant the movement.

Betting Stays On Maintain

No matter occurs within the state case, authorized sports activities betting in Florida will stay on maintain pending the result of a federal authorized case.

West Flagler has been combating the gaming compact in federal courtroom since its enactment, and the case has now made its strategy to the US Supreme Courtroom. Chief Justice John Roberts this month stayed a decrease courtroom ruling that might have allowed the compact to take impact as a way to give the excessive courtroom time to contemplate whether or not to take the case.

Feds Say State Courtroom Ought to Resolve

The Inside Division, which oversees tribal gaming and is the plaintiff within the federal go well with, this week filed its first response within the Supreme Courtroom docket.

The division is answerable for reviewing gaming compacts such because the one between the Seminoles and Florida to make sure they adjust to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

If the division takes no motion on submitted gaming compacts inside 45 days, they’re deemed authorised. That’s what occurred in 2021 when Florida submitted its up to date settlement with the tribe. West Flagler and its allies say Inside has a duty to disclaim the compact as a result of it permits tribes to just accept on-line bets positioned anyplace within the state, not simply on tribal land.

Inside stated its obligations solely stretch so far as gaming that does occur on tribal land, and that the off-reservation sports activities betting envisioned by the compact falls outdoors of its purview. Primarily, these actions have been individually licensed by the actions of the governor and state legislature that at the moment are at situation within the state supreme courtroom continuing.

The Inside Division stated West Flagler’s federal case “lacks advantage” and is unlikely to succeed and that critics of the tribe’s sports activities betting association are higher off taking their case to state courts.

“If the Florida Supreme Courtroom concludes that the Florida Legislature’s authorization of the position of wagers outdoors Indian lands will not be permissible below the Florida Structure, that might afford candidates the reduction they search,” Solicitor Common Elizabeth Prelogar wrote on behalf of the Inside Division. “That pending case gives the suitable discussion board to resolve candidates’ claims primarily based on the which means of state legislation.”