Last updated: October 30, 2024
In a surprising turn, West Flagler has halted its legal efforts against the Seminole Tribe in Florida and entered a partnership agreement, ending three years of litigation. This move follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to hear West Flagler’s case, thus solidifying an appellate court ruling that allowed the Seminoles to offer digital sports betting across Florida. The compact, which requires a 60% revenue share from commercial operators partnering with the Seminoles, now paves the way for expanded gaming offerings.
West Flagler has concluded its lengthy legal battle with the Seminole Tribe in Florida, opting instead to enter a partnership that signifies a major transformation in Florida’s gaming landscape. This agreement follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision four months ago to decline hearing West Flagler’s case against the U.S. Department of Justice, allowing an appellate court ruling to stand. This ruling cleared the way for the Seminoles to offer digital sports betting across Florida.
As part of this settlement, both sides agreed to “refrain from pursuing any future litigation with regard to the Seminole Tribe’s gaming operations.” It represents a sea change for West Flagler, which spent years trying to resolve the issue in court by suing over the 2021 Seminole-Florida compact.
NOVA Southeastern constitutional law professor Bob Jarvis said he wasn’t surprised by the verdict since he had deemed West Flagler unlikely to win from the get-go. He wondered why the company continued pressing its case, pointing out it had been on a long – and mostly unsuccessful – journey through federal and state courts.
The compact terms require the Seminoles to pay the state of Florida $2.5 billion over five years of shared revenue generated from both sports betting and land-based casinos. Commercial entities seeking to offer online wagering in Florida have no choice other than partnering with the Seminoles, agreeing to a 60% revenue share, and using the Seminole server for their operations.
Seminole Gaming Chief Executive Officer Jim Allen dubbed the agreement a “win-win” and told WardsBaron it presents “a fantastic chance at a joint relationship.” In this manner, the two do not battle over an eventual day in the courts of justice. The joint free time now available enables their energy toward marketing Florida’s game of Jai Alai. Seminole digital offering Hard Rock Bet has been slated to post markets for wagers on the game in the first quarter of 2025, according to Allen.
This partnership is historic in terms of what Florida gaming now opens its doors to, even broader digital betting opportunities.
