Seminoles Reach Deal To End Sports Betting Litigation

The authorized battle over the Seminole tribe’s exclusivity to on-line sports activities betting in Florida seems to lastly be coming to an finish. After an extended backwards and forwards that included appeals to the state’s highest court docket and the U.S. Supreme Court docket, the tribe reached a deal on Monday with racetrack and poker site operators concerned within the authorized efforts.

The settlement with West Flagler Associates, Bonita-Fort Myers Corp., Southwest Florida Enterprises, Inc., and Isadore Havenick means the authorized dispute will come to an finish. As a part of that, the Seminoles will cooperate to supply wagering on the game of jai alai on the Exhausting Rock Guess cell app.

“That is actually a win-win settlement for the Seminole Tribe and West Flagler,” Exhausting Rock CEO Jim Allen stated in a information launch. “This settlement establishes a relationship of collaboration among the many Seminole Tribe and West Flagler within the State of Florida. Relatively than partaking in years of further litigation, this settlement will enable the events to work collectively to advertise jai alai, which has performed an essential function in Florida’s gaming panorama for practically 100 years.”

The sports activities betting monopoly was awarded to the Seminoles after the tribe signed a brand new 30-year compact with the state in 2021. The $20 billion settlement contains $500 million in annual funds to the state over the primary 5 years.

The tribe has been working stay and on-line wagering since December and the compact additionally allowed for the group’s casinos within the state to supply craps and roulette.

Plaintiffs within the case had argued that the compact accredited by Gov. Ron DeSantis violated federal and state legal guidelines, however the settlement now brings an finish to the litigation. West Flagler operates the World Jai Alai League and the deal provides the league a lift as bettors proceed to embrace cell sports activities betting within the state.

The Havenick household, which previously owned the Magic Metropolis On line casino in Miami, was happy to see the litigation conclude.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with the Seminole Tribe in help of their gaming operations in Florida and to advertise Jai Alai, which has been a vital part of Florida’s gaming business for the reason that Nineteen Twenties,” the household famous. “We’re proud that Jai Alai will probably be featured on the Exhausting Rock Guess app and we stay up for growing a powerful partnership with the Seminole Tribe.”

Jai Alai is a sport that entails bouncing a ball (pelota) off a wall and catching and throwing it in a hand-held wicker basket (cesta). The sport has been known as “the quickest sport on this planet” as a result of the ball can attain speeds of 200 mph. In consequence, gamers have suffered quite a few accidents and even demise on the court docket.

Florida’s first Jai Alai fronton opened in Miami in 1924, internet hosting crowds as massive as 15,000 folks. On the peak of the sports activities’ recognition there have been 10 completely different frontons all through the state, however in the present day there are solely two.

Though frontons used to even be situated in Connecticut and Rhode Island, they’ve since closed. The sport remains to be performed within the Philippines, Spain, and France.