Florida Lawmakers Fear Online Gambling Expansion

Florida Lawmakers met yesterday to discuss the compact governor Ron DeSantis has reached with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, with many bulking at the provision within it offering an exclusive 30 year deal to run online sports betting in the state.

This week in Florida marks a major period for gambling and lawmakers are making their feeling known on the deal the governor has made with the tribe.

In the deal the tribe would be allowed to build another three casinos on tribal land along with being allowed to introduce more casino style games and also the allowance to exclusively run online sports betting for thirty years. To which the Seminole Tribe of Florida would pay the state $2.5 billion over a five year period.

However many lawmakers are asking for the removal of the sports betting segment as they fear it is a back door to allowing all types of online gambling. Part of the deal does cover this by stating that within three years the state would “engage in good faith negotiations” with tribal leaders to allow all other types of online gambling.

Interestingly both House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson stated that the governor along with the tribe had agreed to remove this part of the deal.

Sprowls wrote in a note to lawmakers covering this by saying: “In my discussions with our members, I realized many shared the same concern as I — that some language in the compact could be construed to lead to the backdoor expansion of online gaming,” Sprowls went on to finish by saying “even the mere possibility of this was unacceptable.”

Tribal leaders said that the provision in the compact was none enforceable and only an agreement to discuss and they wanted it to remain.

Jim Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming and chairman of Hard Rock International spoke to lawmakers on Monday about the major benefits of the deal struck by the governor and the tribe, however he did believe that should the compact pass there would almost certainly be legal challenges to the deal.

Rep. Sam Garrison questioned the online betting section of the deal by saying:  “There’s a legitimate question and legal question as to whether or not the sports gaming allowance, it’s an open legal question. “

Online sports betting is a major deal for Florida, it is certain the Seminole Tribe of Florida want it and will not back down on this and on the other side so many businesses and compete interests do not want to see the tribe have the exclusive rights for thirty years.

Lawmakers have a very difficult decision this week and negotiations will certainly take place over the coming days to try and get a deal done.