The legal battle over Florida sports betting is raging on, and West Flagler Associates. Ltd has just thrown its final hail Mary.
The South Florida poker room operator wants to stop the Seminole Tribe of Florida from launching sports betting through its compact signed with Governor Ron DeSantis. To do so, it has just filed a state constitutional challenge in the Florida Supreme Court which could invalidate the compact if approved.
exceeded his authority by entering into a compact with the Seminole”
Gaming law expert and sports betting attorney Daniel Wallach shared the official challenge document on X, which claims DeSantis “exceeded his authority by entering into a compact with the Seminole:”
Earlier this month, it seemed likely that Florida sports betting could launch very soon through its Hard Rock brand after a Court of Appeals restored the Seminole gaming compact. In doing so, it denied West Flagler’s request for an en banc hearing, ruling that the reasons given by the poker room operator did not warrant a rehearing.
Legal expert Wallach has warned that the filing of the constitutional challenge may further delay the relaunch of Florida sports betting. “It may be too risky for Hard Rock to relaunch due to licensing considerations in other states,” he concluded.
The battle over Florida betting has been raging since November 2021 when the Hard Rock Sportsbook went live for less than a month. That short stint ended when a federal judge threw out the compact claiming that it violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.