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As excited as people were for the Florida sports betting update that the Appeals Court had ruled in their favor against the owners of the Magic City Casino, that doesn’t mean that everything will be launched in the near future. That’s because those casino owners may not be ready to back down. According to a report, the Florida sports betting case isn’t officially over yet, as the West Flagler Associates still have options on the table.
This includes filing for a rehearing. Not only that, but if they decide to take further action, there’s a chance that things could end up making their way to the U.S. Supreme Court. This has been a long, up-and-down case, and plenty of people thought that things would be over once the Appeals Court ruled in favor of the state. However, the window remains open for this whole ordeal to keep going for a few months.
“At present, West Flagler Associates, the plaintiffs in this case, have until August 15 to submit a petition for rehearing,” Mia Fowler of lineups.com wrote. “They will either file a petition for rehearing in front of the same three-judge panel that decided the case, or a petition en banc, which would be a rehearing in front of all the judges in the circuit court. Wallach said that panel and en banc rehearings are “so sparingly granted,” and estimated that usually only one or two cases are taken per year.”
From our chair, it looks like Governor Ron DeSantis and The Seminole Tribe don’t have much to worry about here. However, people are still concerned that things could end up getting pushed back even further. We will find out leading to Aug. 15 if the West Flagler Associates will push for a rehearing. If they don’t, then it will be a great sign for Florida sports betting to arrive this fall. However, that remains to be seen.
The practical effect: If both plaintiff groups seek rehearing, as expected, the mandate won’t issue until after the DC Circuit has decided the rehearing petitions. This will delay the re-launch of sports betting in Florida at least until the court proceedings have concluded.
— Daniel Wallach (@WALLACHLEGAL) June 30, 2023
Florida betting for football season now feels at risk
With all of that said, Florida betting for football season now feels at risk if things reach a rehearing. If that ends up happening, then it will 100 percent delay things being able to launch in time for Week 1 of both the NFL and college football season. Right now, there’s hope that NFL betting and NCAAF betting will be on the table for people all over Florida to take advantage of once late August gets here.
In order for that to happen, though, things will need to get finalized from a legal standpoint. Right now, the Miami Dolphins hold strong Super Bowl betting odds leading up to the new campaign, but they’re not the only team that people in Florida are going to be focused on. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jacksonville Jaguars also feature loaded rosters, with the two teams hoping to make a splash as well.
With the Jaguars, they nearly stunned the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round last season, but they suffered a heartbreaking loss. Now, though, signal-caller Trevor Lawrence is entering his third season in the NFL and there’s high pressure on the former No. 1 overall pick to deliver. Head coach Doug Pederson has done wonders for his career and we could see Lawrence take a big step forward in 2023.
Overall, NFL betting is massive for Florida, but all of the activity has been illegal thus far. This is something DeSantis and the tribes are fully aware of, which is why they’re excited to potentially get legal wagers approved in the coming weeks. If that does end up happening, then we could see some truly eye-opening numbers come in for Florida in September. We’ll have to stay tuned for the final decision to come in.
Fist bump, @Tua?? 🤜🤛 pic.twitter.com/7dtW8w8Tbx
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) July 31, 2023
MLB betting could be huge for Florida this fall
Another reason why officials are hopeful that legal wagers can come in soon is that MLB betting could be huge for Florida this fall. The Tampa Bay Rays are in the middle of a sensational season and their fans are hopeful that they can make a return trip to the World Series. The Rays have a loaded lineup and fantastic pitching, which is why they’re eyeing an AL East title as well later this season.
If betting does get approved for Florida by late August or early September, then this means that baseball fans will be able to bet for the end of the regular season, plus the playoffs. Obviously, this is the best time of the year for baseball fans and the interest in betting in Florida would be through the roof. The longer the state waits, the more potential revenue they’re losing.
With how great the Rays have been playing, we would expect a boatload of MLB bets to be placed on them from the start in Florida. Right now, everyone must wait and see how things shape out. However, if good news does come in soon, then Florida’s sports betting market will surely be booming. This is something for people in the state to keep a close eye on.
