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What Does The Suspension Of Sports Betting Mean For Florida?

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Unfortunately, for the state of Florida, it would seem that things are going back to how they were in regard to the iGaming industry, as sports betting has once again been banned within the region after the federal court of appeals has denied the request from the Seminole Tribe for an emergency motion of stay.

With the news of the suspension, it would not be a surprise if figures showed that Floridians had decided to look at offshore options once again, for example, getting started with Casumo.

It has been a relatively short-lived venture into the market for the “Sunshine State” as Governor Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe had brought sports betting to the state earlier in the spring after legislation was authorized back in May, in a deal that was supposed to last 30 years. The deal allowed the Seminole Tribe to run all of the bets placed in the state via their computer servers on their property.

What will happen now in regard to sports betting and Florida, though? What are the potential consequences of the suspension and what impact could they have? Given the recent ruling, it would seem that there is a lack of clarity about how long the suspension could last.

Ever since sports betting and other iGaming activities were legalized in the state, Florida has not been without its issues and controversies.

In November, Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled in favor of two Florida-based pari-mutuel companies that sued the Department of Interior, arguing the historic compact reached between the Seminole Tribe and the state of Florida violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, and that lead to the DOI to approve the compact in August.

The Seminoles had asked the court for a motion of “stay” as they appealed the ruling, but that was rejected. They felt halting operations would have “irreparable harm” to its economic interests. This argument was dismissed as a 2-1 ruling stated that the tribe had not met the difficult standard of demonstrating what they had argued would happen.

With so much still to sort out, it would seem that there is plenty of confusion within Florida about the current state of play. Legal experts were found to be divided on the question regarding whether sportsbooks and their vendors would be putting their licenses at risk if they continued to operate.

With the case requiring a hearing that has not yet been set, several events could be missed out on by Florida bettors, especially as many sports start to enter the business end of the year. For instance, the college football bowl season, the NFL playoffs and Super Bowl, as well as March Madness could all be off the table.