The Seminole Tribe in Florida has entered into a deal with West Flagler Associates and the Bonita-Fort Myers Corp. ending a years-long legal dispute between the organizations. Per a recent report, Seminole Tribe of Florida leaders announced an agreement with pari-mutuel companies to end litigation over a 2021 deal that gave the tribe statewide control over online sports betting. The agreement was reached with West Flagler Associates and its owner Isadore Havenick, Bonita-Fort Myers Corp. and Southwest Florida Enterprises. Moreover, the Seminole Tribe of Florida and West Flagler Associates have agreed to promote jai alai betting on the Seminole’s Hard Rock Bet app from 2025. Also as part of the deal, West Flagler has committed to halting all legal challenges against the Seminole Tribe’s gaming operations.
In this article, SBS will be exploring the latest gaming updates coming from the state of Florida along with more notes and info from the region and beyond.
Per the report, Jim Allen, CEO of Seminole Gaming, described the partnership as a “win-win” arrangement. He was quoted as saying: “Rather than engaging in years of additional litigation, this agreement will allow the parties to work together to promote jai alai, which has played an important role in Florida’s gaming landscape for nearly 100 years.” Havenick also added: “We are thrilled to be partnering with the Seminole Tribe in support of its gaming operations in Florida and to promote Jai Alai, which has been a critical component of Florida’s gaming industry since the 1920s.”
West Flagler, which owns two Florida pari-mutuels, spent three years in state and federal courts challenging the compact that granted the Seminole Tribe exclusive rights to online sports betting in Florida. Under the 2021 compact, any sports bet made within Florida and processed through servers located on Seminole lands is legally considered to have been placed on tribal land, enabling statewide digital wagering through the tribe’s infrastructure.
However, any commercial entity interested in entering Florida’s online sports betting market must partner with the tribe, pay it 60 percent of gross gaming revenue, and operate on the Seminole’s server network. The deal, the article notes, may pave the way for more developments. The compact includes a clause that allows the Seminoles to offer any “new game authorized by Florida law,” suggesting that if online casinos are legalized in the state, the Seminole Tribe could expand its digital portfolio.
Noted in another report, the Tribe will accept Jai alai wagering on the Hard Rock Bet app in early 2025. Additionally, the Seminole Tribe has conducted full-scale betting on its app and at casinos since early December 2023 the same local outlet in Florida notes. For some context, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the tribe agreed to a 30-year compact of nearly $20 billion that includes $500 million in annual revenue to the state for the first five years.
Also, the agreement allows the Seminoles to offer craps and roulette at tribal casinos. Companies argued that the compact gives the Seminoles a sports betting monopoly and that the U.S. Department of Interior wrongly approved the compact even though it violates the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of requiring gambling on tribal lands. Noted in the article, the app is the only way to bet legally on sports in the state of Florida.
West Flagler owns several gaming, sports, and entertainment facilities throughout Florida, including World Jai Alai League operations in Coral Gables in Bonita Spring Poker Room. Meanwhile, Seminole Gaming manages six Florida casino establishments for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, including Seminole Hard Rock Hotels in Tampa and Hollywood. Seminole Classic Casino Hollywood, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee, and Seminole Casino Brighton.
In other Sunshine State news, a Hamilton County man “thanked his lucky stars” in late October after winning a gargantuan $1 million cash prize on a “Florida 300x the Cash” game. The Florida Lottery announced that one Edwin Scroggin of White Springs opted to take his prize as a one-time lump-sum payment of $695,500. Scroggin bought the winning ticket at Winn-Dixie, located at 580 South Marion Street, Lake City. As a result of selling the winning Scratch-Off ticket, the retailer earned a $2,000 bonus commission. Noted in the article, the $30 Scratch-Off game offers over $1 billion in cash rewards, including four top prizes of $15 million and 24 prizes worth $1 million. Players have odds of 1-in-2.93 to win the luck-based game.
Once you are all squared away in relation to the latest gambling news and notes coming from the state of Florida, make sure to peruse the awesome array of information available to you over at SBS. For even more analysis and updates on the state covered here, make sure to check out the Florida sports betting guide which goes over all of the most recent updates from the area and beyond. Additionally, if you are eligible and interested in maximizing your wagers, make sure to peruse the best bonus betting sites breakdown which covers all of the latest welcome bonus offers out there. If you meet the requirements, you can have access to a catalog of the latest and greatest welcome bonus offers currently available. Finally, for those on the go, make sure to check out the best betting apps rundown.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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