Chris Boline
People remain up in arms due to what’s happened with Florida sports betting. Everything was all set to be launched this fall, but then a lawsuit in U.S. Federal Court has ended those dreams, for now. With that said, Florida receiving massive support in its sports betting fight should surprise absolutely no one, as countless folks out there are stepping up to try and get things changed in the near future.
As soon as it was announced that the U.S. Federal Judge was siding against Florida and the Seminole Tribe, all hell broke loose. Months and months of planning went to waste, as not only was Florida sports betting not able to go through, but the Hard Rock even had to shut down its online betting for folks who had signed up. Earlier this year, there was a silent launch, which was so incredibly exciting to see.
It was the first taste of legal sports betting people in Florida were able to enjoy. After only being up for about three weeks, though, it had to be shut down due to the court’s ruling. We don’t have to tell you how many hearts that broke all over the Sunshine State. The fact that people indeed got that first taste for sports betting, only to have it pulled so quickly, was downright disheartening.
Now, things are up in the air, as Florida is hoping an appeal can overturn things. At the same time, plenty of people are expecting this to head to the Supreme Court as well. Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe had the 30-year deal all set, but then everything changed with the lawsuits. Fortunately, DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe aren’t alone in this battle, as the outside help has truly been through the roof.
Bring sports betting back to Florida (so I can spend more time here) ⬇️https://t.co/flLCDV47e5
— Kelly (@kellyinvegas) December 18, 2021
Major sportsbooks are helping out Florida right now
It shouldn’t come as a surprise at all that major sportsbooks are helping out Florida right now from a monetary standpoint. According to local reports, right around $100 million has been raised to help out the initiatives. On top of that, hundreds of thousands of signatures have been recorded as well to present to a judge. This goes to show the overwhelming popularity sports betting has in Florida.
Of the sportsbooks that have stepped up here, the list of course includes DraftKings and FanDuel. Per a report, DraftKings has helped out with more than $22 million, while FanDuel has chipped in with more than $12 million. This is a massive sum from these two giants, as they’re of course hoping things are able to change here. Those two sportsbooks know how much money is on the line here for the future.
With all of that said, no one knows what the future has in store for sports betting in the state. With more than 30 states in the USA approving legal sports betting, with Ohio being the latest to add its name to the list, people are dreaming of Florida being set free and be allowed to get things done as well. It drives people insane knowing that Florida, Texas and California all don’t have legal sports betting.
Those are three of the biggest states in the country and with a boatload of pro and college teams who are major talents. Despite that, people are simply going to have to wait in Florida. It also sucks for them as neighboring states don’t have legal sports betting yet either. Sports fans are going to have to keep their fingers crossed that it will be made legal soon, otherwise, people are really going to get annoyed.
NFL postseason being near makes things even worse for Florida
Obviously, the NFL postseason being near makes things even worse for Florida and all of the football fans around. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by Tom Brady, are in the middle of another tremendous season. Despite the stunning Week 15 loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Bucs still have great NFL Super Bowl odds for this February. They are among the favorites to take home the Lombardi Trophy.
The team was able to get that job done last year, upsetting the Kansas City Chiefs with all the marbles on the line. When online betting through the Hard Rock app was an option, people were checking out the futures odds and putting in their picks. With the postseason almost here too, the bets are only going to keep on going across the country. That won’t be able to get done for folks in Florida, though.
This is beyond infuriating. How are they able to place their wagers now? Are they going to have to call friends in states where betting is legal and have them put their bets in for them? Do you see how troublesome that is? Well, the opposition in Florida could care less about that, as they want to go above an beyond to make sure the Seminole Tribe doesn’t get its way.
Only time will tell if we’ll be able to have a positive resolution for Florida sports betting, but people aren’t overly optimistic right now. That’s a shame too, as things were looking so great just a few months ago. Oh, how things can change.
No. 6⃣
Welcome to Tampa Bay, @LeVeonBell! pic.twitter.com/nBQku9dqGs
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) December 22, 2021
