In what seemed like a predetermined outcome, the House of Representatives on Wednesday ratified the new game compact between the state and the Seminole Indian Tribe, 97-17. The approval came after an hour of debate and attempts at several changes, making Florida the largest state in the population to legalize sports betting since the fall of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act on May 14, 2018.
The compact creates anything but a monopoly for the Seminole Indian Tribe, which is already the driver of gaming in Florida. All sports betting – even if they are done on mobile devices or via parimutuel partners – must “go through servers” located on tribal land, and the tribe gets a cut.
Everyone involved, including those who voted for the compact, believes it is subject to legal challenges, and that there is a possibility that the US State Department will not approve it. The legislature did not write – and therefore can not change – the compact, which was agreed between the government Ron DeSantis and the tribe in April.
“It does not take a master’s degree to know that there will be lawsuits,” the rep said. Sam Garrison during the discussion.
Speaker of the House Chris Sprowls said: “I do not think there is any chance of making a game deal for the size and scope that was negotiated by Gov. DeSantis without a legal challenge. You navigate the icebergs of legal obstacles while doing so. ”
When the state of New York legalized sports betting on mobile via the state budget on April 21, it was the largest state to the point of doing so. While stakeholders had been enthusiastic about legalization in two of the potentially largest markets in the United States, the new laws in both states severely limit the amount of competition, and in turn opportunities for gamblers.
Florida became the third largest U.S. population in the United States, according to the 2020 census, with 21.5 inhabitants. The number is about 1.3 million higher than New York.
Source: Sports Beezer