When the general assembly of Florida met in the month of May, it was pulled for a session to take into consideration the newly signed compact by Ron DeSantis, the Governor, and Marcellus Osceola, the tribe leader.
While the General Assembly finally approved the contract, it only served to open the door to legal proceedings and petitions on the subject, sponsored by DraftKings, one of the largest authorized sports betting businesses in the United States.
Petition Drive of DraftKings begins
DraftKings seeks to persuade its consumers to approve the agreement through an amendment of the constitution in the state, as elections will begin in the next few months. DraftKings, in its email to customers, DraftKings asks its customers if they want the best sports betting experience in Florida and the opportunity to bet with apps that they already know and trust, like DraftKings? That’s what the ballot question would do.
The email also contains a petition that the recipient must sign for DraftKings and other sports betting sites to be allowed to operate in the state. The money will go to the education system of Florida, according to DraftKings, and should be signed by Florida registered voters. The state of Florida’s amendment procedure would prohibit all additional signatures.
Sports betting was included in the DeSantis-Seminoles agreement, which allowed the tribe to handle sports betting on its property. It would also enable sports betting in mobile, while the state’s other pari-mutuel and poker clubs would be permitted to accept wagers.
Many legal experts believe that the current agreement between the Florida government and the Seminoles breaches the state constitution. Amendment 3 was passed by Florida voters in 2018, requiring any expansion of gaming in the Sunshine State to be approved by a statewide referendum.
However, the compact is facing different challenges, and the federal government is being asked to intervene. The Bonita Springs Poker Room and Magic City Casino registered a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida in Tallahassee earlier this month.
However, plaintiffs are raising a valid point about where the gaming is taking place. Because sports betting is conducted through servers on Seminole land, the state and the Seminoles claim the state’s constitution does not govern them.
