The administration of President Joe Biden decided to clear the way for the gambling deal between the state of Florida and the local Seminole Tribe. By allowing the 30-year gambling compact to come into effect, the federal approval also brings a major victory to Governor Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, granting the Indian tribe with control over sports betting services in the state.
According to analysts, the decision of President Biden’s administration to give the nod to the pact between the Seminoles and the state of Florida set the stage for legal action over the compact that could bring some serious changes to the gambling footprint of the state.
The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs practically left the 45-day period for review to come to an end without taking any action on the aforementioned compact. Under the provisions of federal law, this means that the agreement is consistent with the country’s gambling legislation that regulates tribal gambling services.
As CasinoGamesPro reported at the time, Governor DeSantis and the Chairman of the Seminole Tribe, Marcellus Osceola Jr., signed the compact in April 2021. Then, the agreement got Florida Legislature’s approval during a special session in May.
Seminole Tribe Receives Exclusive Rights to Offer Sports Betting for 30 Years
Under the provisions of the 30-year gambling compact, the Seminole Tribe of Florida will be given exclusive rights to offer sports betting in the state through additional contracts with pari-mutuel operators. As required by the deal, the Indian Tribe will have to make contracts with no less than 3 pari-mutuel operators within 3 months after the new form of gambling goes live in the state. The tribe will not be able to start offering sports betting services until October 15th.
The gambling agreement between the Seminole Tribe and the Governor of Florida would provide both the residents and visitors of the state to bet on sports online, by using mobile applications, while the local Indian Tribe would have to host the computer servers on their tribal lands.
According to experts, the provision, which is the first of its type, is a major test of the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act that was brought into effect before online gambling was available. The provisions of the aforementioned piece of legislation forced federal regulatory bodies to officially make a decision on whether the mobile sports bets outside the tribal lands comply with the law that dates back to 1988. One of the deputy assistant secretaries for Indian affairs at the federal department, Bryan Newland, said that the pursuit of mobile gambling services was in line with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act’s public policy considerations.
Governor DeSantis praised the federal authorities for giving their approval to the historic gaming compact, saying this was a great step forward for the state of Florida. He further noted that the state’s agreement with the Seminole Tribe is mutually beneficial and would help Florida enhance its financial stability by providing the state with fresh revenue. The compact is also expected to help the state expand its tourism and recreation sector.
