ORLANDO, Fla. – In a victory for the Seminole Tribe and the state and federal governments, the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday lifted a temporary hold on a lower court’s decision in favor of online sports betting.
This summer the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a gambling compact between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe that allowed online sports betting as long as the servers were on tribal land.
Recommended Videos
Pari-mutuel companies West Flagler Associates and Bonita-Fort Myers Corp. sued the U.S. Interior Department, which allowed the compact to go through. The companies said the U.S. Interior Department should have blocked the compact under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
The appeals court, however, disagreed.
West Flagler Associates and Bonita-Fort Myers Corp. asked the Supreme Court to block the appeals court ruling while they pursued the case in that court. Earlier this month, Chief Justice John Roberts halted the ruling, pending further response from the parties involved and a decision from the full bench. Roberts did not give a reason for doing so.
On Wednesday, the full court vacated Roberts’ hold and denied the application for a stay.
The companies are also suing the state in the Florida Supreme Court, saying the compact violates a 2018 constitutional amendment requiring voter approval of casino gambling in Florida.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: