The deal between Florida and the Seminole Tribe did not celebrate for long as federal authorities have decided to intervene in it. The US Department of the Interior will now scrutinize the deal concerning casinos, sports betting, roulettes, and sports betting.
The department is dedicated to overseeing gambling compacts like the one conducted with the Seminole Tribe. The deal was signed back on April 23rd and was sent for further approval. The department can approve or reject the deal within 45 days.
Experts believe that the Biden administration holds limited authority in the deal. George Skibine (Office of Indian Gaming’s Former Director) stated that the department would overview the deal and see if any changes are required. George was hired to assist the House in making a decision regarding the compact.
There are not many reasons to reject the compact, but the final decision is 40+ days away. The deal sees Seminoles paying 20 billion dollars to Florida. Out of which, 2.5 billion dollars are paid in the agreement’s first five years. Florida receives 450 million dollars if in case the provision regarding sports betting is not approved.
As the provision provides the Seminoles complete control over sports betting, the authorities will have to undertake a severe assessment to make a decision. As per George, the main issue is online gaming, which was not used when the act was passed in the 1980s. The issue is to figure out what to do if a bet is placed by someone who is located off the reservation.
The compact originated back in 2007 with the Gove. Charlie Crist. However, the deal was challenged in the court by Republican legislators, stating that the deal requires lawmakers’ ratification. The Supreme Court held the Legislature victor and ordered the compact to be revised. Seminoles were awarded slot machines rights and exclusive rights for banked card games like baccarat and blackjack too.
However, the tribe stopped payments in 2019 over a dispute regarding designated player card games offered in the state. After a few rulings, the tribe stopped its payments. The agreement Osceola and DeSantis drew cannot completely remove Seminoles’ earning-sharing agreement if some sections of the compact are violated. The feature will guarantee a win for the deal, as believed by many experts.
Allen recently stated that the provision regarding sports betting would likely face legal concerns. However, he isn’t concerned about the issue stating that Florida isn’t taking a risk.
