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Post Date: April 12, 2020, 5:38 a.m.
Last Updated on April 12, 2024 at 05:38h.
The United States Supreme Court has postponed a Friday, April 12 deadline set by the U.S. Department of Justice for U.S. officials to give testimony regarding a lawsuit challenging Florida’s Class III gambling compact with Seminole Tribe.
You can also find out more about the following: Supreme Court Debra Haaland, Interior Secretary, et. al., West Flagler Associates, Ltd., etc., was granted the extension requested by the U.S. Department of Justice. DOJ has a new deadline of May 12, to give its opinion as to why Florida’s updated gaming agreement with the Seminole Tribe, signed in 2021, does not violate federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
Justice Department officials stated that more time is needed as its lawyers have been busy working on other matters before the Court. This delay allows the Seminoles Hard Rock Bet to continue operating in the Sunshine State at least until May 12, but probably much longer as the tribal gaming suit will not be settled for several months.
Lawsuit Backstory
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, (R), and the Seminole Tribe of May 2021 The new terms of revenue sharing have been agreed. Seminoles are the tribal members of this tribe. Hard Rock Casinos.
The tribe agreed to give the state at least $6 billion by 2030 in order to maintain its slot machine monopoly outside Miami-Dade County and Broward County and to have house-banked tables games exclusively statewide. The tribe received roulette and craps rights at the casino in exchange for an agreement that DeSantis called “historical” and “mutually beneficial”. six brick-and-mortar casinosRetail and online betting is available.
You can also find out more about the following: Online sports betting component was quickly pushed back on by two pari-mutuel licensees — West Flagler Associates and Bonita-Fort Myers Corporation. Lawyers for the Magic City Casino and Bonita Springs Poker Room, respectively, alleged in their lawsuits that the state’s decision to permit the tribe to wager on online sports violated the IGRA. IGRA requires that tribal gambling only be done by tribes that are federally recognized.
Attorneys for the state argued the expansion on the internet is compliant with IGRA because the Hard Rock Bet servers will remain in Seminole territory. While approving 2021’s compact, the DOI and Sec. Haaland both agreed.
The case was appealed by the U.S. Supreme Court after lower federal courts sided with Florida. SCOTUS is expected to make a decision on the case once the DOJ has submitted its testimony.
State Challenge Remains
In the event that West Flagler or Bonita Springs suffer another federal defeat, they would have no choice but to pursue a case in state court. That litigation deals with whether DeSantis had the authority to expand gaming in Florida after state residents in 2018 passed a ballot that provides the public — not the state — with the “exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling.”
The Seminoles helped bankroll the 2018 constitutional amendment because their attorneys say it has to do only with new forms of commercial gambling — not tribal. The 2018 constitutional amendment was intended to prevent commercial casinos coming to Miami, where the Malaysian casino group, Genting Group was lobbying lawmakers for an integrated resort.
Last month, the Florida Supreme Court criticized West Flagler attorneys and Bonita Spring attorneys who brought the case before the high court of the state without going first through lower courts.
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