Monday’s decision, however, means the industry can legally return, though the Seminole Tribe has not yet announced its plans for the launch. But the operation only lasted about a month before the court challenge forced it to a halt. The state stood to make about $2.5 billion from the 2021 agreement, while the Tribe had complete control over the sports betting industry as residents began to download the Hard Rock Sportsbook mobile app late that year. The result is that the Seminoles could capitalize on a monopoly in online betting when the practice starts again, possibly in time for the Super Bowl and March Madness. On Monday, the U.S Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia decided not to re-hear a legal challenge from two gambling competitors, Magic City Casino in Miami and Bonita Springs Poker Room in Southwest Florida, against Florida’s 2021 Compact with the Seminole Tribe that previously legalized sports betting on Tribal lands. With its refusal to re-hear a challenge to the Seminole Tribe’s gambling agreement with the state of Florida, a federal appellate court opened the door again this week to online sports betting in the state.
