Florida Lawmakers | SportsBettingInFlorida.com https://www.sportsbettinginflorida.com Just another WordPress site Wed, 09 Dec 2020 19:49:23 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7 https://www.sportsbettinginflorida.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/favicon-1.png Florida Lawmakers | SportsBettingInFlorida.com https://www.sportsbettinginflorida.com 32 32 Florida Sports Betting Could Be On The Table https://www.sportsbettinginflorida.com/fl-sports-betting-on-the-table.html https://www.sportsbettinginflorida.com/fl-sports-betting-on-the-table.html#respond Sat, 18 May 2019 19:46:00 +0000 https://www.sportsbettinginflorida.com/?p=317 Lawmakers are planning to discuss sports betting with the Seminole Tribe Seminole Tribe has prevented gaming expansion in Florida There are no bills being considered right now TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Lawmakers in Florida are planning to negotiate with the Seminole Tribe about sports betting this legislative period. A large number of states around the country ... Read more

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  • Lawmakers are planning to discuss sports betting with the Seminole Tribe
  • Seminole Tribe has prevented gaming expansion in Florida
  • There are no bills being considered right now

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Lawmakers in Florida are planning to negotiate with the Seminole Tribe about sports betting this legislative period.

A large number of states around the country have opened sportsbooks or they have introduced legislation that would legalize sports betting. Florida has been left behind and has done neither yet. That could change this legislative session as lawmakers are going to negotiate with the Seminole Tribe about the gaming compact between the state and the Tribe.

Negotiating A New Compact

Senate President Bill Galvano was the lead negotiator for the 2010 compact between the Tribe and the state. He has tasked Senator Wilton Simpson to work with the Seminole Tribe to come up with a new compact.

“Right now, from the state’s standpoint and speaking on behalf of the Senate, what is paramount is to see where we are ultimately with the tribe going forward,” said Galvano.

As sports betting is becoming more and more popular around the country, the Seminole Tribe is becoming more interested in the sports action. The fact of the matter is that Florida is in a position where having the Seminole Tribe control sports betting may be the easiest and most simple way for sportsbooks to open.

The Seminole Tribe’s Powerful Position

The Seminole Tribe has backed legislation that prevents Florida from expanding on gambling on their own terms. This past fall, voters passed Amendment 3. This measure stated that if there was an expansion on gambling or if a new casino wanted to be open, it must go to a statewide vote before it could happen.

This was backed by the Seminole Tribe as they put down $24 million in support of the amendment. The measure was a success and now any and all gaming expansion has to be voted on in a statewide ballot. The only catch is that this measure does not affect the Seminole Tribe. They are free to expand on their gaming operations as they see fit without a statewide vote.

They have also in the past successfully sued the state on any infringement of their gaming compact. Racinos were using a “designated player” system to allow them to offer blackjack to their customers. The Seminole Tribe sued in 2016 about this and they have won their court case, further cementing their position in Florida Gaming.

The post Florida Sports Betting Could Be On The Table first appeared on SportsBettingInFlorida.com.]]> https://www.sportsbettinginflorida.com/fl-sports-betting-on-the-table.html/feed 0 Florida Lawmakers Begin Talks With Seminole Tribe About Sports Betting https://www.sportsbettinginflorida.com/fl-in-talks-with-seminole-tribe-about-sports-betting.html https://www.sportsbettinginflorida.com/fl-in-talks-with-seminole-tribe-about-sports-betting.html#respond Fri, 19 Apr 2019 19:43:00 +0000 https://www.sportsbettinginflorida.com/?p=313 No sports betting bill has been filed in Florida yet. State lawmakers are working with the Seminole Tribe find an agreement. Sports betting is unlikely to happen in 2019. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida lawmakers held discussions with the Seminole Tribe on Wednesday to talk about sports betting in the Sunshine State. No Deal Just Yet ... Read more

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  • No sports betting bill has been filed in Florida yet.
  • State lawmakers are working with the Seminole Tribe find an agreement.
  • Sports betting is unlikely to happen in 2019.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida lawmakers held discussions with the Seminole Tribe on Wednesday to talk about sports betting in the Sunshine State.

No Deal Just Yet

With the compact between the state and the Seminole Tribe needing to be re-negotiated, lawmakers are starting to discuss the possibility of sports betting with the Tribe. The Seminole Tribe pays about $350 million a year to the state for the compact. That agreement ends soon and now they need to decide how much they should pay after the current agreement and what else could be added to the compact.

This is why sports betting is starting to enter the discussions. The Seminole Tribe could end up being the entity that offers sportsbooks in the Sunshine State. So far, no deal has been reached between in regards to sports betting. State Senate President Bill Galvano does seem hopeful about future negotiations.

Control Over Gambling

There has not been any expansion in gambling in Florida in the past couple of years. Most attempts have failed and gambling expansion have gotten harder. In the 2018 election, Florida voters passed Amendment 3 which made it so that a statewide referendum would need to be held to open a new casino.

The Seminole Tribe spent $24 million to help make sure the amendment passed. Now people in Tallahassee would have a say if a casino were to open or not in Gainesville.

They have also sued the state for any infringement on their gaming compact. The Tribe sued the state because racinos were using a “designated player” system to try to get around the fact that only the Tribe could offer blackjack. The court ruled in favor of the Tribe and they are the only ones who can offer blackjack in Florida.

As illustrated, the Seminole Tribe has a strong hold on gambling in Florida. Lawmakers are going to need to convince the Tribe to allow for sportsbetting in Florida to happen. The likely scenario to make that happen is to allow the Tribe exclusive rights to open sportsbooks. The legislative session ends on May 3, so it is unlikely we are going to see sportsbooks open in the Sunshine State in 2019.

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