Sports Betting
The Seminole Tribe of Florida and West Flagler are ending their longtime dispute
In Florida, the Seminole Tribes have a monopoly on the sports betting market. However, other industry operators have been working to get a piece of the puzzle. It’s been an ongoing battle and that’s why the West Flagler Parties have been fighting back. After intense and costly legal battles over the Seminole Tribe’s control, both parties have agreed.
Starting early in 2025, Jai Alai will be added to the Hard Rock Bet app. Knowing that it is being added to the market, West Flagler Parties have agreed to end all future and present legal battles. They will no longer challenge the Seminole Tribes’ control of gaming operations in Florida. Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen explained this is a win-win situation for both parties.
He noted that a relationship is now established between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the West Flagler Parties. Instead of being in a legal battle for years, the two sides will work together to promote Jai Alai. Allen said Jai Alai has impacted Florida’s gaming landscape for close to 100 years.
When did the legal battle between the Seminole Tribes and West Flagler begin?
The Seminole Tribe has a unique monopoly in Florida unlike most legal betting states in the U.S. They are the only operator who can provide online gambling in the state. As a result, other states were unhappy with the monopoly that the Seminole Tribes had in Florida. The “West Flagler Parties” took to court to try and end the monopoly.
Several parties were involved including the West Flagler Associates, Bonita-Fort Myers Corporation, Southwest Florida Enterprises, and Isadore Havenick. Sports betting was launched in Florida and the legal battle between the Seminole Tribes and West Flagerl went on for years. Initially, West Flagler took exception because online gaming was going to be conducted on non-tribal land.
In November 2021, a U.S. District Attorney set aside the federal government’s approval of the pact. However, a U.S. Court of Appeals overturned the lower court’s decision in June 2023. That reestablished the Seminole Tribes’ control of the online market in Florida. The legal battle between West Flagler and the Seminole Tribes did not end there.
West Flagler pushed for this case to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. The case was “distributed for conference” at the Supreme Court but SCOTUS denied the request in June 2024. Four months after the Supreme Court’s refusal, the two parties have come to an agreement. There is now a partnership between the Seminole Tribes and West Flagler Parties.