Supreme Court will not hear Florida sports betting challenge

Field Level Media|published: Mon 17th June, 14:32 2024

Feb 10, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; The BetMGM Sportsbook at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to take up a challenge to the Seminole Tribe's exclusive rights to online sports betting in Florida.

The nation's top court denied a petition from opponents, including West Flagler Associates and the Bonita-Fort Myers Corp., businesses that operate racetracks and poker rooms in the Sunshine State.

The tribe's 30-year compact, approved in 2021 by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida legislature, is expected to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars.

"The Seminole Tribe of Florida applauds today's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to decline consideration of the case involving the Tribe's Gaming Compact with the State of Florida," the Seminole Tribe said in a statement.

"It means members of the Seminole Tribe and all Floridians can count on a bright future made possible by the Compact."

Opponents have contended that the compact, which runs through 2051, gives the Seminoles a sports betting monopoly in the nation's third-most populous state.

--Field Level Media