Peter Lewis
The absolute last thing the Florida sports betting battle needs right now is any kind of an issue involving either Governor Ron DeSantis or The Seminole Tribe. Right now, their case is still in the appeals court, with countless people hoping that legal wagers will be allowed in the near future. However, there’s no question whatsoever that the Seminole Tribe controversy is bad news for the Florida sports betting fight.
According to a report, Seminole Tribe Chairman Marcellus Osceola Jr. is currently facing allegations of corruption. Yeah, that’s not good at all, especially with it being reported that the FBI is looking into things. Not only that, but Osceola is hoping to get re-elected early next month. However, with this latest report, it sure has a lot of people nervous that some disheartening updates could arrive from an investigation – if it comes.
Not long ago, the Seminole Tribe and DeSantis agreed to their historic 30-year pact. While sports betting was launched for a brief period in October of 2021, things were quickly shut down by a U.S. District Judge. Ever since then, both DeSantis and The Seminole Tribe have been working tirelessly to try and get the decision flipped. With the case at the appeals court, there was plenty of hope that the court would rule in favor of the state.
However, the court is taking its time with everything and they are also following every last detail closely. With The Seminole Tribe involved in this latest situation, it’s certainly something that they’re going to take under consideration. Because of this, plenty of sports fans are concerned that this could come back to haunt the sports betting efforts. We should hopefully find out soon whether or not the betting push will be impacted.
Controversy surrounds Seminole tribe chairman Osceola as corruption allegations linger and election nears; FBI takes notice https://t.co/X05hwu18ti via @Florida_Bulldog
— Florida Bulldog (@Florida_Bulldog) April 17, 2023
Florida citizens are hoping for NFL betting next fall
With everything up in the air, Florida citizens are hoping for NFL betting next fall, but no one knows if that’s going to happen or not. When things were launched in October of ’21, the online wagers were through the roof in the Sunshine State. People didn’t hesitate in checking the NFL betting odds and placing bets on the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Bucs. Then, things went away quite quickly.
Looking ahead to next season, of all the teams in Florida, the Miami Dolphins are the ones who will have the highest Super Bowl betting odds. This team is stacked on both sides of the ball. On defense, Miami was able to trade for Jalen Ramsey, which sent quite a statement to the rest of the conference. The Dolphins are also hoping that Tua Tagovailoa can stay healthy from start to finish in the next campaign.
As a whole, NFL betting is going to be quite popular across the country, especially with so many different teams handing out major contracts to their star players. This week, we saw the Eagles sign Jalen Hurts to a five-year contract worth $255 million, with nearly $180 million in guaranteed money. People are high on Philly to win it all next season, though the Kansas City Chiefs remain the favorites.
Despite all of that, no one in Florida can even think about making a legal wager until the appeals court makes its decision. The NFL season is going to be one for the ages. People are already thinking about the NFL Draft and how rookies can make or break the years for top organizations. Come September, no one knows if people will be able to bet on the NFL in Florida. Right now, people aren’t feeling too confident about the chances of that happening.
First day of school vibes 🎒😄 pic.twitter.com/K4N9q3XwY3
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) April 17, 2023
Florida sports betting could be delayed to 2025
With all of the uncertainty surrounding this appeal, Florida sports betting could be delayed to 2025. This thought alone is keeping a lot of folks up at night. This would be the worst-case scenario, no doubt about that. If the appeals court rules in favor of the Magic City Casino owners, then the pact between DeSantis and The Seminole Tribe will be put to bed. With that, it would be back to square one for the betting efforts in Florida.
If this were to happen, which no one wants to see, then a new sports betting bill would have to not only be developed, but then approved as well. This is a process that takes a lot of time and it won’t get done overnight. We’ve seen just how long things are taking in other states, including the Texas sports betting fight. If things are a total flop in Florida in the coming months, then betting in 2024 would feel nearly impossible.
That’s why so much is riding on the upcoming decision from the appeals court. Billions of dollars are on the line here. On top of that, people want to be able to bet on the sports action. They are sick and tired of having to travel to outside states to make that happen. The allegations against The Seminole Tribe could lead to some bad news being on the way here.
