Florida Has New Hope in its Sports Betting Case Appeal

Peter LewisPeter Lewis | October 5, 2022
Florida betting newss

Just about every single day, there’s new updates when it comes to Florida sports betting and the state’s fight to try and get things up and running as soon as possible. While new reports have stated that legal sports wagers may not arrive to the Sunshine State until 2024 or 2025, Florida has new hope in its sports betting case appeal. As most of you know by now, a U.S. District Judge forced sports betting in Florida to be shut down shortly after it was launched last fall.

The Seminole Tribe and the state reached their deal on a historic 30-year pact, but in one of the lawsuits filed by the owners of the Magic City Casino, they needed said deal to be illegal. Now, the Seminole Tribe and Florida have taken things to the court of appeals and according to a report, they have provided new evidence to the courts showcasing that they actually haven’t broken any laws and they’re well within their grounds.

Part of the big argument here is that Florida launched its online sports betting in illegal fashion. However, court documents have shown that Florida’s launch actually followed things the right way and that no rules were broken. The hope now is that with these new court findings, the court of appeals will actually rule in favor of Florida and the Seminole Tribe, which would ultimately help sports betting in the state back up and running.

This would be massive for sports fans, as things continue to be up in the air as to whether or not things will be able to re-launch or not sooner than later. If the court of appeals doesn’t side with the state and tribe, then that means that people are going to have to wait even longer to make their sports bets. Not only that, but they’ll also have to keep traveling outside of the state to partake in this kind of an activity.

A decision could be coming soon on Florida sports betting

The good news here is that a decision could be coming soon on Florida sports betting, which will be good for the citizens. At the end of the day, all of this uncertainty is not good for the people of Florida. As we’ve stated before, one day it feels like things are going to potentially end up moving in the right direction, but then the next day people are dropped with an update that makes them unhappy in more ways than one.

All of this is not fair to the good people of Florida and governor Ron DeSantis knows this. When the 30-year sports betting deal with the Seminole Tribe was announced, people were over the moon in happiness. This finally opened the door for legal sports bets to be made. For a brief period of time last fall, people were checking the NFL betting odds with a smile on their faces and then moving forward with their bets.

It felt like all of the anxiety and stress over this matter had melted away. Soon after, though, things had to be shut down because the Magic City Casino owners won their case and they made sure that things were shut down. These owners knew that sports betting would take away from their business, which is why they were so passionate in making sure that the project wasn’t able to fully take off.

Now, the shoe appears to be on the other foot, as this appeal seems like it’s picking up steam. Not only that, but countless people in Florida are making their voices heard on social media and through letters to the government that they’re not happy with the way things have been handled. It’ll only be fair if justice is served in this case, as Florida deserves sports betting. This has been a long time coming and the wait could be ending soon.

Sports betting would be on the rise right now for football season

What makes things so frustrating for Floridians is that sports betting would be on the rise right now for football season. With the hot starts for so many teams, fans are without question checking the best Super Bowl odds to get some early wagers in. The Buffalo Bills remain at the top, but in Florida, people are definitely interested in the Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. All three squads have impressed thus far.

With the Dolphins, this team has been hot to start the campaign, pulling off some big wins. Unfortunately for them, Tua Tagovailoa went down with his injury and he’ll be out this weekend vs. the New York Jets. With the Bucs, Tom Brady is in what’s expected to be his final season in the NFL. Imagine how many bets would be placed on TB12 and Tampa Bay in such a memorable year for the organization. People have to wait for that, but keep your fingers crossed a change will come soon.

Peter Lewis

Peter Lewis Jr. comes from Mississippi where he and his family spend their days discussing college football and basketball. He's written sports journalism for years after studying journalism at a local university.