Florida Sports Betting Remains As SCOTUS Denies West Flagler’s Writ

The Supreme Court has officially ruled to deny West Flager Associates’ petition for writ of certiorari. This ruling came down Monday after SCOTUS held a closed meeting surrounding the case on Thursday, June 13. This ruling will see the Florida sports betting market maintain the status quo of the Seminole Tribe maintaining its monopoly. However, this ruling does have an impact on other sports betting markets.

SCOTUS Florida Betting Compact Ruling Explained

With the ruling, online sportsbooks in Florida will continue to run as is. The Florida Seminole Tribe maintains its monopoly on Florida sports wagering through 2051 and only the Hard Rock Sports app is available. This ruling could be the beginning of the end of the long-fought Florida betting legal case.

West Flagler’s petition was the last chance to overturn the D.C. Circuit Court ruling made in June 2023. That initial ruling reinstated sports betting in the Sunshine State. While West Flagler will likely continue the fight, it appears the Seminole Tribe and the Florida Compact have come out as the winners of this case.

Impact On Other Markets

This case has major implications for the sports betting market going forward. Florida launched online sports betting via a tribal compact between the Seminoles and the state without a residential vote or a bill. This is the only instance of online sports betting launching in this manner.

With the precedent set, what is stopping other markets from following suit? An example of one could be California. Local residents voted against launching online sportsbooks during the 2022 November elections. What would prevent tribes from launching online sportsbooks via gaming compact in the same manner that Florida did?

Outside of sports betting, the same method could be used to launch iGaming. Florida will likely aim to bring iGaming to its residents, run by the Seminole Tribe, in the same manner as with online sports betting. The method by which Florida launched its gaming market can be used as a standard for markets that have yet to launch.

The sports betting market may never be the same following this Florida case.